7 Truths When You Look Cool On The Outside But Feel Anxious On The Inside

There are people in this world who are truly unflappable.

I feel like they're also the most ignorant and least driven, but that’s neither here nor there.

On the other hand, you have the people with tremendous anxiety, who bite off a bit more than they are ready to chew. These individuals are usually the most driven and aware.

Anxiety itself isn’t a bad thing, as long as we know how to deal with it. Stress is a sign that we need to react and create change.

Unfortunately, too many people in the world keep all that anxiety bottled up inside. They ignore it altogether. And they fall into our third category: cool and collected on the outside, completely anxious on the inside.

These individuals have it the hardest. Here are seven truths I’m sure you can relate to if you fall into this third category.

1. You have a great poker face, but half the time you’re screaming on the inside.

You’re cool and collected, but you're also hot and raging.

You have a cyclone inside of you that you’re always doing your best to contain. You’ve gotten good at fooling the world into believing you have everything under control.

But that isn’t exactly true, is it? Everything may be all right in the moment, but you know if things keep going the way they have been, that cyclone is going to tear you apart.

2. People believe you’re a bit cold or removed, but in reality you care a tremendous amount.

You care, but you don’t show it. You mull over all your problems and issues. You're constantly thinking of the things you need to get done and the different people you've encountered during the day.

In fact, you don’t even know how to slow down your thoughts to give you a bit of breathing room. You’re slowly but surely suffocating yourself.

Thank goodness nobody notices.

3. People think you just let everything roll off your back, but you’re secretly just trying to keep yourself from falling apart.

Who in this world doesn’t have problems? The answer is "nobody." Everyone has problems.

Some of us are just better at dealing with them. The rest of us, however, are constantly anxious, but we've learned to keep our anxiety hidden.

We feel the need to keep up a facade. God forbid anyone knows we're having problems, too.

4. You’re very empathetic and caring, but people are sometimes put off by you.

They don’t think you give a sh*t, so they won’t even bother you with any of their problems.

And since you keep everything bottled up, why would they think you care? It’s a shame, really, since friendship is built on people helping each other when times get difficult.

But since no one approaches you, your friendships remain weak or nonexistent.

5. When you need someone to lean on, no one offers or even realizes you’re having a difficult time.

You look like you’re keeping it so cool that no one ever offers to give you a helping hand or a caring ear. And that’s because no one knows you need support.

This is the persona you’ve built.

6. You’re a walking contradiction.

On one end, you’re constantly anxious, and on the other, you act like life couldn’t be better.

No one knows the real you because no one has actually ever met the real you.

You’ve been too afraid of judgment to ever allow someone to get close enough to get to know you. You’ve become a loner, and, let’s be honest, you don’t like it.

The worst part is people think they actually know you, but unfortunately, they’re also living your illusion.

7. You know eventually, you’re going to have a mental breakdown, but you ignore that fact and go about your life like nothing is wrong.

The tension continues to build day in and day out. Week after week, your life gets a little bleaker and a little less real.

You have no idea how to stop the anxiety, and you’re sure that one day you’re no longer going to be able to hold yourself together. It’s just a matter of time until you break.

Or maybe you’ll release the valve a bit and let your true, anxious self seep out. Maybe you’ll introduce those closest to you to the real you. The choice is up to you.

For More Of His Thoughts And Ramblings, Follow Paul Hudson On Twitter, Facebook And Instagram.