School isn’t school without an occasional (or frequent!) anxieties or panics. It happens to all of us, man, so take it easy with these tips!
If you’re anxious right now:
1. Breathe. Lack of oxygen in your body makes you even more anxious. There’s probably some science behind that, but alas, I am a journalism major and not a biology major.
2. Music is your friend. I find that listening to music often distracts me enough from my worries. Pandora has “relaxation” station for many genres, like classical relaxation or jazz relaxation.
3. People are also your friends. It’s 100% OK to talk to people about something on your mind. Try not to give into those little lies you tell yourself like, but no one wants to hear it! I don’t want to be annoying! No, no. Shh. Talking to someone, or even writing down what you’re worried about, can relieve some tension because they’re out of your system now.
4. Apps! There are mobile apps for anxiety out there and they’re wonderful! I use this one called SAM, and it’s pretty cool.
In the app, there are tools for keeping track of how anxious you are, what makes you anxious and little activities to help you through it!
This activity, “Change the Focus” allows you to “scrape” the frost off of a picture so you can see the picture. I’m not sure how this relieves anxiety, but it is oddly fun.
To prevent anxiety in the future:
1. Be aware of yourself. If you know you get anxious when you’re hungry, pack snacks with you! Plan out meals evenly! This tip is so simple but often overlooked (especially by me.)
2. Don’t do the thing that makes you anxious! This one sounds pretty obvious but it’s important to keep in mind. If you’re afraid of heights, don’t let your roommate convince you to live on the 10th floor of Morrison. Don’t. No matter how much you love them.
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