Anxiety attack? 😳

By: Shea Harris

It’s been one week since Art Basel and I must say this year was a bit different than last year. One of the main differences was that I had company come in town and I had to deal with anxiety. Let’s be clear, I’ve never really been one to face anxiety unless it was finals week. I haven’t had to take a final in over 2 years, so you already know I was tripping.

The anxiety came down to me having to entertain people during one of the busiest times in Miami. I’ve entertained guests before, but Art Basel is completely different. During Art Basel season, there are parties, concerts, art showcases and several events for one week straight. Did I mention there’s little to no sleep? It’s one of the most amazing experiences (if you do it right). It’s safe to say I didn’t make it to every event I wanted to attend, but the ones I did attend were absolutely amazing.

Myself and friends started event hopping Thursday night (as soon as their plane landed). I think its safe to say that Thursday was a flop. Usually I don’t mind certain events but because I had company with me I wanted to make sure they had a great time. Thursday night, well Friday morning, I only slept for 3 hours and had to be at work. All day in my cubicle I couldn’t help but to think oh gosh, what if they aren’t having a good time?

I got so caught up in worrying about if they were enjoying themselves that I nearly caused myself to have an anxiety attack. When I was supposed to be napping Friday after work, I was up messing with my laptop doing some insane searching. When I was supposed to be relaxing, I was worried about what could possibly happen in the next 4 hours. I drove myself crazy that weekend. I ultimately lost the momentum and heart to enjoy myself during the most poppin’ weekend because I was too worried about what might happen.

The lack of sleep, worrying and running around ultimately lead to me being sick for a whole week. Thank God I’m feeling better, but it all came down to me not taking care of myself. I kept trying to please my friends and worried myself into a hole of sickness. I most definitely learned my lesson though. There’s no way to entertain people if I’m about to have a nervous breakdown. I have to remember it’s okay to be selfish and concerned with my health.

Have any of you been close to an anxiety attack or actually had one? How did you recover? How have you avoided them? I’d love for you to let me know!