A letter to Anxiety from Inside Out 2
yesterday i watched Inside Out 2 and felt really touched. it's a feeling when somebody or something can articulate what you think, better than you. it's a feeling of relatability, that at least somebody gets you, and a sense of being heard.
the movie has a lot to unpack, and it's for everyone to watch.
why you may ask?
because it's about emotions. something as universal as the air, but as personal as the air you breathe. while no two people experience emotions the same way, we all have them. we all have to deal with them, make peace with them, and appreciate life through them. even though I am not a big fan of giving your emotions too much space in your head as they can be draining and unpredictable, based on your external and internal state of mind. but it's important to be aware, so you know that you are in complete control of how you feel in this very present moment. it's a weird relationship that we have with our emotions, the dynamics are constantly changing.
but my favorite emotion of them all is - joy. and i feel the most important emotion in the sequel is - anxiety, not to forget - the concept of a sense of self.
i think as kids we were never aware of the circumstances that built our sense of self. but somehow as we transition into teenage or adulthood, our sense of self becomes the most important part of our identity. in the movie, the sense of self isn't something static that is made up of a fixed proportion of emotions and memories. rather it's the most evolving part of who we are. each decision we make in real life, our reactions to events and people, what we value, what we devalue, everything comes together over the years to make up our sense of self.
what's rather fascinating is that no matter how resilient we think our sense of self is, one decision or action is enough to mess it up. from a personal standpoint - i feel that anxiety 9/10 times overrides our sense of self. thereby throwing us into a spiral of worry, fear, boredom, confusion, and all those negative mental states. so much so that we forget our true sense of self. and start building a sense of self from what others perceive of us and how we want others to perceive us. and that's what the movie is all about.
the fact that sometimes our emotions can have so much power over us if left unchecked is the message of the movie. the fact that you need to ensure that your sense of self is paramount in deciding how much validation each emotion gets. the fact that anxiety isn't bad, it just wants the best for us and our future selves is the message.
i have often wondered why when anxiety takes over me i also lose my rationale and sense of self. how after so much awareness, education, and practice i still let my rationale go for a ride in extreme situations. why do i lose control? but the answer to managing these emotions doesn't lie in withholding them, rather the answer lies in expressing how you feel, without hurting your true self. it's about regulation not control or loss of control. singlehandedly no emotion can ensure the best for us. and without each of these emotions doing their job, we might not even have a genuine sense of self.