It’s no secret that I suffer from bad anxiety and depression.
I try to be really open about it.
It’s hard not to be when it impacts you this much.
I had my latest anxiety attack earlier in the week and I am still feeling the residual effects. I don’t feel fully like myself.
It’s a demon that I wish I could shake. And I work hard to manage it, but it never truly goes away.
So imagine my horror, and confusion, when I noticed the latest social media trend to make light of the issue.
The #sillylittlewalk hashtag has thousands of videos on TikTok.
People are posting videos of themselves stomping away from the camera with a jaunty message about how it’s helping their anxiety.
“Going for a silly walk for my silly mental health” is a typical caption.
It’s silly. Just a bit of fun.
@sydinscrubs A rare sighting of above freezing temps @annalyce.24 #midwest #sillylittlewalk #illinois
And it might be helping some people.
But it’s also minimising what is actually a horrible mental health problem.
Walking back to happiness – not as easy as it sounds
Now, I understand the health benefits of walking.
It can keep your heart healthy, keep your weight down and reduce your risk of developing heart problems.
Experts say it’s good for your mental health too. Some statistics suggest physically active people have a 30% reduced risk of becoming depressed.
Walking promotes the happy hormone, ‘endorphins’ and it can help to improve sleep.
If you’re anxious like me, you’ll know sleep can often evade you.
So I get it. I’m not a walking hater.
But if you’re an incredibly anxious person, like me, sometimes going for a walk takes a lot more mental effort than merely putting some shoes on.
And it hurts to see people acting as if being anxious is some cute personality trait.
Anxiety isn’t some quirky personality trait
Anxiety affects around 8 million people in the UK.
The NHS describes it “as “a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.”
It can cause the most simple task to become a mountain. Sometimes I can’t even face showering.
@jessisamess.co
My symptoms are often an intense awareness of my heartbeat, dizziness, sickness and brain fog.
And an attack can be brought on by the most mundane things, such as someone saying something to me in a way that I don’t understand, or in a way that feels negative.
My anxiety makes me jump to the worst case scenario at all times and it can knock me down for days on end.
It’s annoying, frustrating, agitating and upsetting.
And I promise you – when I am crying after a panic attack, I am not thinking ‘aw it’s just my quirky little bout of anxiety.’
I am all for raising awareness of anxiety, and talking about it more openly.
But the narrative needs to change, from quirky to informative.
Help is out there – look after your friends
The NHS recommends a few things to help with anxiety.
“Shift your focus, understand your anxiety, challenge your anxious thoughts, face the things you’re trying to avoid, look at the bigger picture.”
Speaking to your GP is a good start.
I did, and it’s helped me. So has therapy.
Imagine if social media platforms did more to spread that kind of message.
TikTok trends are fun but my anxiety is not a laughing matter.
So next time you think about posting your ‘silly little mental health walk’, please think about how it will impact the person who sees it.
Because it might be someone like me.
And look after your friends with anxiety.
Because trust me, it will take more than a walk to help them.
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