Feeling Anxious?
**Worry. Wake up covered in sweat. Get ready. Take a deep breath. Keep going. Fear. All eyes are on you. Don’t panic. Countdown from 5. Move on. Pressure. You aren’t good enough. Be better. Think happy thoughts. Onwards. Suffer. Don’t make another mistake. Feel weak. Perform a smile. Leave now. Panic. This place isn’t home. Body accelerates. Cry for a bit. Repeat tomorrow.**
November 18, 2021
Anxiety is a disorder where excessive worry and fear becomes a part of everyday situations. I, like millions around the world, deal with this continuous dread. There are many people around our own community that deal with this disorder, with many of them struggling to get by.
Have you ever felt any of the following?
- Restlessness/discomfort
- Feelings of worry or panic
- Increase in heart rate
- Change in breathing tempo
- Sweating
- Trembling or twitching
- Physical and mental weakness
- Zoning out or lost of focus
- Sleep problems
- Numbness
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Hyperventilation
- Feelings of danger or dread
- Trembling or chills
- Tiredness or weakness
- Gastrointestinal problems
These may be signs of anxiety! Recognizing these signs and dealing with them as best as you can help avoid anxiety attacks.
If reading this made you feel seen, it is important to know that you aren’t alone and there are things that can help, including talking to a mental health professional right here in our school. Just stop by the Center for Peace (across from room 102) and ask to speak with someone. Everyone is there to help!
Once you confirm that anxiety is the cause of your discomfort, it is possible to manage it through different methods. Try each one and see which method is best for dealing with your anxiety. Everyone experiences and copes with anxiety differently and you should use whatever method works best for you.
Questioning one’s thought pattern can be a good way of dealing with anxiety. Negative thoughts may take place in your mind and change the severity of a situation. Challenging your fears can be a good way to combat your thought patterns. See if your fears are really true and see where you can take back control and work on yourself.
Other methods of managing anxiety include:
Practice deep breathing
Go for a walk or do 15 minutes of yoga
Write down your thoughts
Identify and learn to manage your triggers
Adopt cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Do a daily or routine meditation
Adjust your diet
Keep your body and mind healthy by exercising regularly, having balanced meals, and getting enough sleep (between 7 and 9 hours!)