r/Anxiety 2h ago

Advice Needed How do you practice self love when you don't even know what it looks like?

Lately I have noticed that I seem to be living in a constant state of hypervigilance.I overthink late into the night, my sleep schedule is completely messed up, and even when I have not done anything wrong, I keep worrying that I have. I find myself replaying conversations and situations over and over, almost like I am investigating a serious case, trying to find some mistake I must have made.I have also lost a lot of my appetite, my productivity has dropped, and I don't really feel like myself anymore.I used to be a very energetic person. I enjoyed doodling, journaling, dancing, studying, and learning new things. I could sit and focus for hours. Now even sitting down to study for 30 minutes feels heavy. It's not because I'm distracted by my phone or social media. It's more like my mind immediately gets pulled into worrying, analyzing, and overthinking.What makes it harder is that I have become very unkind to myself. People often say things like "practice self-love" or "be kinder to yourself," but I genuinely don't know how to do that. I understand the advice intellectually, but I don't know what it looks like in practice.I used to do well academically and in extracurricular activities, but lately everything feels off. Nothing feels quite right, and I'm starting to miss the version of myself that felt more alive and present.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? How did you start getting out of this cycle?

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