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Imagine anxiety as a mountain.
When hiking, the goal is to reach the summit to enjoy the view.
To get there, you have to go through uphills, downhills, flatlands and slippery sections.
This journey constantly tests us, with the difficulty of the challenges constantly changing to match exactly how far we’ve come on the path. It teaches us to let go of what we cannot control, and this process often begins with flat terrain.
The Flatland.
Hiking offers the reward of a beautiful view from the top, and the path there is full of uneven, flat and uphill and downhill terrain.
Flatlands usually follow uphill sections. This is because uphill sections are resource-intensive. They enable us to appreciate the challenges posed by the ascent and the climb we have just overcome. More importantly, they provide an opportunity to recover and catch our breath, enabling us to prepare for the next stretch.
The Uphill.
Hiking uphill taxes the entire body. Every part works in concert. Stability is required from the core in both directions: downward through the legs and feet to handle uneven ground, upward through the back to stay straight and carry our own weight (plus any backpack we’re carrying).
Uphills are energy- and resource-intensive. We breathe faster and deeper to pull in more oxygen. The heart pumps harder to deliver blood to our muscles so we can keep moving against the incline until we finally make it to the next flat ground.
However, there's more to it than that: uphill climbs also clear the mind. When the effort is intense enough, the body must allocate its resources efficiently, prioritising the muscles. This leaves nothing left to fuel worries about the past or the future, helping us to return to the present moment.
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The Downhill.
Downhills can be deceptive. We often feel relieved, thinking, “the hard part is over”. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Downhills can be just as challenging as uphills. They put a strain on the legs and quadriceps in entirely new ways, demand different resources and require a completely different strategy. Short, quick steps are best. You need to pay constant attention to wet, slippery or rocky terrain. The core stays engaged. Moving an 'S' shape down the slope to avoid rolling downhill.
Like flatlands, downhills can be gentle, giving us oxygen and time to recover, or brutally challenging, offering another chance to clear our minds completely.
Beyond our control
Anxiety is like a mountain. It brings ups and downs, brutal tests and unexpected breaks. It teaches us to let go of what we cannot control and to focus on what we can. Every stage of the journey becomes a teacher.
Most importantly, the mountain teaches us that it’s about the path, not the destination. When we finally reach the summit and take in the breathtaking view, we realize every single struggle was worth it—the very struggles that brought us here and allowed us to expand and prepare for what lies ahead.