Hello! It’s been a while hasn’t it?

Following on from my last blog I thought I’d talk about challenging myself and how I’ve already been doing that this year.

As you know, I have a lot of anxieties about doing everyday tasks. I can officially say that I’m well and truly conquering that already 4 weeks into January. This isn’t a post to brag. I’m hoping that anyone who shares the same thought process as me can relate and see if they can challenge themselves too.

A lot of why I was avoiding pushing myself was because of the ‘what ifs’.

– ‘What if I order a taxi and they bring the wrong one even though I ask for a specific one to suit my needs and the taxi driver tries to shove me in anyway’ (happens a lot)

– ‘What if I get a train and they forget to put the ramp down for me at the other end and I’m stranded’

– ‘What if they don’t put the ramp down properly and I fall into the tracks and break every bone in my body’ (ok yes ridiculous thought but that’s anxiety for you) 

– ‘What if I get to the hotel and they give me a non accessible room even though I asked for an accessible one’ 

These are all thoughts that would make me completely justify not trying new things because i’d rather just not be faced with these problems. At the end of last year I started to deconstruct exactly why I had these thoughts and how I could change them into positive thoughts.Notice as well, most of these what ifs are the repercussions of someone else’s actions. So why was I letting other people determine what I do? These what ifs will probably never go away completely. But if I could tell myself a plan for if it happened then I am ready. So for example:

– ‘If I order a taxi and they bring the wrong one, I will ask for another one. As long as I have explained specifically what I need, this is not my fault and I will order in plenty of time to make sure the delay doesn’t chip into my plans.’ 

– ‘If I get on a train and they forget to put the ramp down for me to get off, this would ultimately not be a disaster, annoying yes that I could end up hours away but I would be able to get back and realistically would be looked after by staff’.

– ‘Ok so if I fall down the gap of the track yes that would be pretty traumatic, but this is highly unlikely and if I did there’s assistance there to save the day.’ 

– ‘If the hotel give me a non accessible room it is my right to ask for a better one and I am not making an unnecessary fuss. Staying in a hotel means being able to access basic needs, a toilet, a shower and bed. Hotel staff will usually go above and beyond to make sure this is a priority’ This has already happened to me twice and staff have been lovely and helpful. 

So by trying to change my thought process I’ve already taken more trains this month than I did the whole of last year. I haven’t fallen down the gap (yay) no one forgot me (double yay) and I’ve actually really enjoyed myself.

So here’s to challenging ourselves and planning for the worst case scenario. I will leave you with this great piece of artwork my friend Kay bought me which is my motto of this year.

“Great things never come from comfort zones”