Almost 50% of college students live with some form of anxiety. In my case, I’ve dealt with this almost my whole life. So needless to say, coming to college was terrifying to me. But it doesn’t have to be! I’ve gathered a list of some tips on how to calm your nerves and make the most of your 4 (or more) years. Don’t let your worries hold you back.
1. Take some “Me” time
If there is something you love to do, use it as a way to “distract” yourself from your worries. It may always seem like you’re busy or rushing through life, especially when your first semester picks up, but find at least an hour a week (or more!) to take your mind off everything and just do something fun for you. I personally like to write, color, walk, or play video games. Some other things you might be interested in could be running, dancing, yoga, singing, playing an instrument, or doing crafts!
2. Keep organized
You may find that a lot of your anxiety is centered around your new copious amounts of school work, and that’s okay! Everybody has a point where their work can get overwhelming, you are not alone. It will help you a lot to relax if you organize everything you have to do. I like to do this in a planner and on sticky notes. With my sticky notes, I’ll write down everything I have to do for each day and post it on my desk or a bulletin board so that I can’t forget it when I sit down to do my school work.
3. Get a good night’s sleep
While sometimes this seems impossible, especially if your mind is always racing at night like mine tends to, aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep. It helps to develop a schedule of things you do every night before bed so that your body knows when its time to settle down and catch some Z’s. I find reading a book at least 20 minutes before bed is really relaxing for me. You might like to watch some Youtube videos, or write in a journal, whatever you find comforting or tiring would work best. (Bonus tip!: Take melatonin tablets! They are a life saver for me!)
4. Keep a journal
Something new I started doing half way through my first semester was taking 5 or so minutes before bed to write about my day in a journal. I like to discuss things that stressed me out, or made me feel better through out each day. Sometimes I’ll make small lists of things I need to do, or goals I have for each month. I’ll also write lists of things I was thankful for that week, and just little reminders for myself about why I should love my life and not let my anxiety weigh me down or hold me back! Give it a try, it may work for you too!
5. Branch out
It may sound scary, but don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone a little bit. You never know what people you may connect with if you do something like go to a club meeting that you’re a bit skeptical about, or take a class you wouldn’t normally take. It could also be something as simple as responding to a tweet from somebody you never met before, you never know, they could become a great friend! It will take time before you realize you can do this, but I promise you can!
And remember, it always gets better. You got this!