Anxiety. Something which is surprisingly still seen as a taboo topic to this day, but also something so many people around the world struggle with. I am one of those thousands of people struggling with it and while it is never easy, mixing it in with a full class load is not the best mix.

Luckily, my anxiety has been something that I haven't been struggling with in a long time, but this semester, things changed. Anxiety isn't something that is always easy to find the root cause of or what triggers that horrible anxiety attack. But I soon realized that maybe school and this semester is where the root cause is.

College is a big change in your life, whether you are a Freshman going into your first semester, or like me, a Junior who has been through a couple of semesters already. And with this comes a lot of emotions, both good and bad. And sometimes, those bad are unbearable.

It is hard to describe what anxiety is to someone that has never experienced it before. It is a feeling that you really don't understand unless you feel it. But the best way I can describe it is if there is something you are stressing out about but it suddenly becomes the only thing that you can think about. Sometimes you can't really tell what it is that you are stressed and anxious about, you just have a knot in your stomach and feel uneasy.

Along with anxiety sometimes comes the anxiety attacks which honestly feel like you are in hell. The hyperventilating, the sweaty hands, the out-of-body feeling. The worst holy trinity known to man. No, we are not faking it or making this up when we say we are having an anxiety attack. The panic is real and sometimes it happens so fast we can't stop it.

Now add in all of this stress and anxiety with a full load of classes, homework, any clubs or activities you are in...college is a busy time and it can be hard to find a few minutes to de-stress and take care of yourself. There are so many other responsibilities in your life now and it's not easy to balance out getting your work done and going to whatever obligations you need to be at while also making sure you are eating and sleeping and relaxed enough.

This really takes a toll on your mental health. I for one can tell you for a fact that it can get so hard to balance your mental health and school work. While it seems like a no-brainer to put mental health over classes and homework, it isn't always that simple. You need to make sure you are going to classes and doing your work on time. Of course, you can talk to your professors but they can only do so much.

With everything being said, I am here to say that yes, you can get through this. Surround yourself with positivity and when you have downtime, make sure you use it to take care of yourself. Take each task one step at a time, and don't stress about the future as much but focus on the here and now. I know, a lot of this is all easier said than done, but I know you can do it.