We’ve all been there. College is stressful and moments of anxiety are inevitable. Just like every college student, I was struggling with anxiety about school and social stuff when I decided that I needed to do something about it. I was spending more time during the day being anxious than I thought was healthy, and my solution came in the form of a book: Calm The F*ck Down.
This little book was recently released by author Sarah Knight, who is well known for her other self-help titles including, the life-changing magic of NOT GIVING A F*CK, you do you, and get your SH*T together.
Now, don’t get me wrong… this isn’t like every other self-help book. It’s full of profanity, cultural references, humor, and actually helpful information to manage your anxiety.
The important thing that Knight does is distinguish between being anxious and having a mental illness, anxiety. She encourages the use of helpful resources such as therapy and psychiatry to treat any serious problems and then gets into some tips on how to conquer those anxious thoughts that always seem to creep in unannounced.
I can’t give away all the good stuff, because I really recommend that you actually buy the book to reap all the benefits, but here is a sneak peek of what you’ll find inside the cover.
Knight herself says that “Calm The F*ck Down will help you. Stop freaking out about shit you can’t control. AND Enable yourself to make rational decisions. SO YOU CAN solve problems instead of making them worse.”
The whole book discusses several methods that will help you rationalize your anxiety and determine what is actually worth worrying about, so you don’t spend all your time sitting in a pool of anxiety that you can’t get out of that’s preventing you from living your life productively.
As I work my way through the book, I’ve started actively applying Knight’s methods when I’m feeling really overwhelmed with anxiety. When I start feeling a little out of breath and my thoughts start going in a circle, I try and stop the cycle by thinking about the techniques in the book and using them to combat those feelings. And it might seem like baloney to some, but when I think about my anxiety logically and logistically like Knight suggests, the symptoms subside pretty quickly.
If you are like me and reached a point in your life when you wanted your anxiety to stop controlling you; read Calm The F*ck Down. I can’t guarantee it’ll work for you, because everybody’s anxiety is different, but it’s worth a try. Worst case scenario: you wasted an hour or two reading and a few dollars, not too bad in the scheme of things. Best case scenario: you feel more on top of your anxiety and can finally catch your breath.
Pick up Sarah Knight’s Calm The F*ck Down on Amazon, and read more about Knight and her other titles on her website.
*Note: If you feel that your anxiety is more than just temporary/momentary anxieties, don’t hesitate to seek help. BU’s Behavioral Medicine Clinic has wonderful mental health resources that can provide you with the care you need.
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