It’s Tuesday and summer classes are in full swing. Two lectures were posted yesterday, two more today, and finals are approaching. And let’s not forget the jobs, internships and attempt to manage a personal life in addition to academic responsibilities. Stress probably seems second nature to you. You might not even give a second thought to the growing uneasiness you experience. This schedule is a fairly ordinary one for a college student and you probably assume anxiety is inevitable.
Here’s the deal: Anxiety might be inevitable. Some of us can’t control the anxious tendencies quite as well as others, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be dealt with, controlled and directed in beneficial ways. Anxiety can easily negatively affect everything you do, but if you’re willing to try, you have the power to change that.
I know what it’s like to be so irritable that it seems impossible to get along with your boyfriend, coworkers and family. I know what it’s like to be so tense that you can’t sit still, and I also know that anxiety pushes me to do my best, work my hardest and defy my limitations.
As a student dealing with severe anxiety, here are a few things I have learned.
1) Your anxiety is affecting your behavior, even when you don’t notice it.
2) Your friends, family and loved ones, however, do notice it.
3) Being mindful of your anxiety is the best (and only) way to change it.
4) Listen to others when they give advice.
5) Eating healthy can actually make a difference.
6) Never be afraid to admit that you have anxiety.
7) Admitting you need help is the first step to getting it.
8) You must find an outlet for your stress that works for you.
9) The stress reliever that worked for you best friend might not be the same one that works for you.
10) Only you know how you truly feel.
11) The suggestions given by your friends and family are important. However, at the end of the day you are the one who has to live with the decision, so make a decision you are happy with.
12) You are not alone in dealing with your anxiety.
13) The stigma surrounding mental illnesses is something we should all work to change.
14) People criticize because they don’t understand.
15) Your attitude about your responsibilities will determine the outcome.
16) You can overcome the stress, tension and nervousness, even when it seems impossible.
17) It’s more difficult than it seems to appear okay when, in reality, you’re falling apart.
18) It’s even more difficult to understand that you can actually be okay.
19) That realization is one of the best feelings you’ll ever experience.
20) Understand that each day will be better than the last.
21) Looking for the positive in each day can make all the difference.
22) Focus on where you’re going, not where you came from.
23) Set clear goals, develop a positive mindset, and surround yourself with those who support you.
"Because I think of Him" by Hans Vink, used under CC BY 2.0
