Texting anxiety

  Texting is a part of daily life for many of us. It can be a quick and convenient way to communicate. It can also be a source of anxiety. One of the "unspoken rules" of texting is that you don't have to immediately reply. Just like an e-mail message, it's understood that you'll respond when available, unlike a phone conversation. However, we often apply expectations about how long it should take for a person to reply and, when they fail to do so, become anxious. Such reactions are normal and commonplace. For nervous people, however, this anxiety can precipitate into a working-up process if one isn't vigilant. For example, I recently had a wonderful date. We seemed to enjoy our company and have a lot in common. When I sent a follow-up text expressing my enjoyment, I didn't receive a reply right away.  OK , I thought,  no biggie . Then some hours went by without a reply. I started to work myself up. My heart began to race a bit. My mind started to whirl: ...