By: Sarah Do Couto
There is a constant pressure to make friends in the school environment, but it’s easy to feel like you’ve missed out on opportunities to connect with others due to anxiety. For myself, it is the voice looming in the back of my head telling me that I should not or cannot do something. It coils around my body and constricts so tightly that I feel breathless. This suffocating feeling is particularly can be experienced sometimes when meeting new people. That’s why transitioning to university in a new city where I knew no one felt like the end of the world. However, I was surprised to find that there were ways to step out of your comfort zone and get to know people almost right away. Here is how I managed for form friendships despite that predacious fear within:
Social Media
Reach out to people online before school starts. Find your university’s Facebook page for someone in the same program as you. Send them a greeting message. Everyone else will be just as nervous as you are about making friends. Having a familiar face when you walk into class can help ease your anxiety.
Photo Courtesy of William Iven
Get phone numbers
When you meet a new person, be sure to get their phone number. Oftentimes in big classes, you can be talking to someone one day and then never see them again. By getting their contact information, you’re able to stay in touch. If you get nervous talking to people face to face, texting them for a while can make things more comfortable and ease you into the real-life interactions. Try asking about homework or assignments when starting a conversation, so there’s something to talk about.
Photo courtesy of Free Stocks
Breathe
As lame as this advice may sound, it’s crucial. Whenever you’re feeling too anxious, step away from the situation and focus on your breathing. Meeting new people can be stressful but it’s important to keep yourself grounded as well. Give yourself a chance to relax every once in a while so you don’t feel too overwhelmed.
Photo courtesy of Ben Blennerhassett
Take time for yourself
Making friends is important but so is your alone time. Whenever you’re feeling too anxious, remember to do the things you love. Read a good book, take a bath, or watch something on Netflix. No one says you have to be a social butterfly all of the time. Sometimes what you need most to combat anxiety is some time with yourself.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Harrington