College can be very difficult to adjust to, especially for people who experience anxiety. For me, in the beginning of the school year, I had anxiety surrounding the idea of being away from my home and family for the first time. This, added to the fact that I was entering a new setting where I knew nobody, was stressful and scary. However, I learned that as long as I didn’t let my anxieties control my life, I could thoroughly enjoy my college experience to its fullest potential.
Something that I think a lot of college students can relate to is feeling anxiety surrounding all of the school work you must complete. Sometimes, your workload just seems never-ending and life-consuming. Although it is important to get your assignments done, you also have to put your mental health first. There are certain techniques I have used to relieve my anxiety in college, which keeps me on top of my to-do list while still taking care of myself mentally.
First, to help control my anxiety instead of letting it control me, I picked up journaling. Journaling can be anything from writing down your feelings and thoughts to writing down your life goals. I found that putting my jumbled thoughts down on paper made my anxious thoughts seem way smaller than I made them out to be. For example, if I had a bad day, I could release all of the negative thoughts onto paper to take them out of my mind and put them somewhere else. In addition, writing down the things in your life that you’re grateful for can help put things in perspective and minimize your anxious thoughts.
Another way to handle anxiety in college is to reach out to people who you love and can count on. This could be a family member, hometown friend, college friend, etc. It definitely has helped me in the past to talk to a loved one in order to feel the love, safety, and security that person provides you. It can certainly help to vent to that person about your anxious thoughts, but if you’re anything like me, you sometimes just want to be distracted from your mind. You can ask your loved one to tell you about their life to distract you from being so focused on your own life and the anxieties that come with it.
Although talking to someone is a great way to help with anxiety, I’ve found you can find the reassurance you need within yourself. You can do so by practicing self-love that makes you feel more comfortable, confident, and at ease. A way that I practice this is by telling myself words of affirmation is the mirror in order to vocalize the things I love about myself and my life. Another way to practice anxiety-reducing self-love is to treat yourself to a night of self-care. Personally, I love taking an extra long shower, putting on a face mask, and reading my favorite book to do this. Self-care looks different for every individual, but what’s most important is that you’re prioritizing taking care of yourself physically and mentally.
All in all, college comes with a lot of new responsibilities, and with that comes anxiety. It can seem like nothing will ever all get done, but I can assure you it will. If you ever feel anxious remember that you can journal, talk to a loved one, and practice self-care. If you still feel anxious despite using these tips, know that this is common amongst college students who have a lot on their plate, and you’re not alone.