Okay, one foot in front of another, you got this. Keep going. You have your sunglasses on, no one can see the terrified glazed look in your eyes.
Breathe. Remember to push your stomach out in front of you when you take a breath in so you can avoid gasping for air.
Can anyone hear how loudly I’m breathing?! Why is this so hard for me? I’m just walking to class. My heart’s going to burst out of my chest.
Welcome to the world of anxiety: a consistent feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome, according to Google. The above scenario describes a minor panic attack, instigated for whatever may have been on my plate that day. I generally try to coach myself in my head like this whenever my thoughts take control of my body. Although everyone feels a surge of worry from time to time, others who may have this condition can feel this way on a very consistent basis. Unfortunately, I personally fall under this category.
This article is not meant as a pity-party of any sort; I’d simply like to spread awareness and to start a conversation. And for those out there who are feeling similarly, I’d like to mention that you’re not alone, and you’re going to be okay!
And so, Collegiettes, if you’d like some pointers on how to use your anxiety to an advantage, read on!
Have you ever tried journaling?
Often, anxiety makes your thoughts run uncontrollably; taking some time to write about what’s on your mind can help to move it from your focus. Think of it as moving your thoughts from your brain down to the paper, and then your mind doesn’t have to hold onto it anymore.
The way you organize your journal is completely personal – it can range from talking about daily events to a list of things you may need to complete or even solely as a spot to talk about your emotions or what’s worrying you.
I try to find time to journal weekly, taking hours at a time to do so if necessary, or just anytime I’m especially feeling bothered by something. Reading back on previous entries shows me how much I’ve grown from the past and it is intriguing to see how differently I used to think. If my anxiety is convincing me that I haven’t changed or accomplished much, I can physically flip through my past journals to remind myself how far I’ve really come. Keep in mind that anxiety affects you physically as well as mentally, and therefore combatting it requires both as well. Also, it never hurt anyone to practice their writing skills!
Organization is key!
At the beginning of this semester, I casually opened Moodle, an online coursework platform, to check for any grades that may have been posted, only to see that I had missed an assignment for one of my classes that was due earlier that week. A wave of disappointment flooded me and suddenly, it manifested into tears.
Now, don’t go ahead and immediately call me a crybaby.
I thought about it momentarily and I came to the realization that these tears were built up around my anxiety surrounding my lack of knowledge of the way my classes were organized and what was due when. Furthermore, I also recognized a pattern: the beginnings of my semesters were consistently harder because of this lack of knowledge. No wonder I felt so overworked and exhausted.
So, rather than struggling through the first couple weeks of classes, I opened my laptop, brewed a big coffee from my Keurig and spread out every class syllabus for the semester in front of me. For the next hour and a half, I created a “master calendar” that essentially micromanaged every assignment, appointment, club meeting, work shift, etc. for the entire semester.
I sighed with relief, instantly feeling significantly better.
This event exemplifies the devastating feeling that anxiety caused me when I felt as though I lacked control over my own life and schedule. In the past, I continuously freaked out weekly, discovering assignments that I didn’t even know existed and struggling to get through efficiently.
Moral of the story: organize everything and physically cross things out as they are finished. You’ve got this!
Live in the now.
This may sound slightly cliché, but it helps to ground yourself.
Anxiety, specifically the more severe cases, can really make the simplest things seem absolutely daunting; this can translate into procrastination, despite the work ethic of the person, since fear overtakes control rather than actually doing it.
I never realized it, but a friend of mine pointed out how I consistently speak under negative terms. For instance, I would say, “I want to be happy,” or point out only the negative things within situations. Subconsciously, speaking this way will find a way to impact your life.
As for the story-time portion of this tip, it begins with Handshake, an online job posting forum. I’d been prepping and priming my account for weeks, getting ready to begin applying for a summer internship. All of that prepping and priming realistically shouldn’t have taken weeks; I just physically felt terrified of “ripping the band-aid off,” as they say, and just sending in my resume and cover letter.
When it came time for the deadline of the internship at the top of my list, I knew I had to send it in for real. The thought of not being qualified enough and being rejected floated around my head as I slowly clicked through the application. I felt the nausea coming on and began to get cold sweats, my breath shortening and feeling a lump quickly forming in my throat.
I burst out into tears (maybe I am a crybaby!), and my roommate, who is also one of my closest friends, quickly came over, holding my hands and telling me it was going to be okay.
She began using logic, a vital tool used against anxiety, to combat the issue:
- There’s no way to know the outcome until you try, so try to ignore potential issues until they become legitimate.
- Live in the moment right now; try to manifest this into an opportunity rather than resorting towards fearing the worst. You haven’t even sent anything in yet!
I realized I was sitting there, thinking about all the potentially bad outcomes there are within applying, rather than focusing on what’s important: the opportunity this presents.
So next time your anxiety tries to overtake you in this manner, try your best to focus on the good, and what’s happening now. Don’t let your brain take you to a faraway, nonexistent place.
Anxiety can be difficult to harness, but it is possible – remember that it’s easy to get help as well, if necessary. Talk about mental health is often “swept under the rug,” which should not be the case. There are several solutions and ways to seek help, such as going to therapy or considering medication. Living with severe anxiety is not permanent, things can change. In the meantime, try to find all the ways it can be harnessed positively.