It's no surprise that college can be a stressful time in a student's life; between balancing school work, extracurriculars, and even a job (or jobs) while trying to live a healthy lifestyle can be quite challenging. Often, this stress can induce anxiety, or it can worsen symptoms with students who already have anxiety. In fact, a recent study found that 41.6% of college students have been reported to have anxiety.
Anxiety can be quite challenging to live with, and often in college, it may seem like there is no one to talk to about these issues. However, it is possible to be able to manage and cope with your anxiety while in college, and here are some things that can help:
1. Talk to someone
I cannot stress this enough! While venting to a friend or family member can be helpful for some, don't be afraid to reach out to your school's counseling services. The licensed professionals are there for a reason, and more students go to counseling than you'd think (almost 50%!)! Therapists can give you tools to reduce anxiety that your friends probably can't, and they can even refer you to a psychiatrist if medication may be what you need. Nonetheless, on campus counseling services is a great, (and usually free) resource. Even if you're wary of trying it out, what do you have to lose?
2. Take some time to chill
In college, you can often feel like you barely have time to breathe. But each day when you have some free time, even just a few minutes, do something that you enjoy. Whether it be yoga, meditation, listening to music, taking a shower, or even playing a video game - it's important to have some "me time" to clear your head and participate in an activity that brings you joy.
3. Shift your way of thinking
Often, anxiety can be irrational thoughts. A lot of my anxiety is irrational, for instance, I worry about things like home invasion, public speaking, my future, etc. - things that are either out of my control or have a very slim chance of happening. When I get these thoughts, I try to stop and reiterate that these things are out of my control, not something to worry about at this moment, or something that no one will even remember in a week's time. Most of the time, the things that I'm anxious about aren't even that bad, the fear leading up to it is far worse than the actual event. Anxiety has a way of fighting with you, but it's important to fight back.
4. Don't give up
Look, often times when I read articles that claim to have cures for anxiety, they say things like, "Exercise! Deep breathe! Smile!" and to be honest, those have never worked for me. While the gesture is nice, anxiety disorders are a type of mental illness and unfortunately, mental illness is still not taken as seriously as physical illnesses. This can be hard for people to understand, especially in college I have noticed, but it is possible to live comfortably with anxiety. I have battled anxiety my whole life, and while I sometimes feel defeated or too scared to even leave my house, I take this disorder day by day. There are good days and bad days, and when there are bad days, I utilize the above skills and they have helped quite significantly. So no matter how hard things may be - know that you are not alone, and help is available.
