How to Fight Back Against Anxiety
By Elise Andersen, Lifestyle Staff Writer
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues among young adults, especially college students. Although everyone deals with the feelings of anxiety at some point in their lifetime, many have to live with the constant irrational fears and racing thoughts that anxiety brings every single day. The mental disorder has the power to take over a person’s life, restricting them from new opportunities and social interactions and affecting their ability to work and function properly.
The most common symptoms of anxiety include excessive, ongoing worry and tension, restlessness, irritability and difficulty concentrating—among others. For college students, this can mean missing out on social gatherings, not being able to keep up with schoolwork and not being able to take care of oneself properly.
Although effectively treating anxiety requires different approaches that range from person to person, it’s extremely useful to try out and incorporate different coping mechanisms into your life. These are things that you can do by yourself, no matter where you are or what the situation might be. While these tips will not magically cure an anxiety disorder, it’s empowering to be able to manage the feelings that anxiety brings in an effort to keep it from overtaking your life.
Grounding Techniques
Grounding techniques are one of the most effective ways to combat overwhelming feelings of anxiety, and help to bring a person back to the present and regain mental focus. While there are many different forms of grounding techniques, one of the most common is the 54321 technique. This takes a person through their five senses to remind them of their presence when they feel like they are losing control.
First, name five things that you can see in the room, followed by four things you can feel. What you feel can be as simple as the air around you, or your feet touching the ground. Next, name three things you can hear and two things you can smell. Lastly, name one thing you can taste—if you cannot taste anything, name your favorite thing to taste.
By simply reminding yourself of the things you can sense around you, it helps to recenter yourself and bring you back to the present. The best part is that you can perform this technique anytime, anywhere, whenever anxiety hits—during an exam, before bed or at a party.
Going for a Walk or Run
When you are struggling with anxious feelings, it can be tempting to crawl into bed and shut out the outside world. But, research has shown the extraordinary effects of simply going outside and taking a walk or going for a run. Any form of exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Although these effects are temporary, they allow for a few hours of relief, similar to taking aspirin when you have a headache. And when you live with anxiety, any relief is better than none.
Taking a few extra minutes to get some exercise and fresh air is the perfect way to start the day with a clear mind. In order to be able to incorporate a daily walk, I make sure to walk to my classes instead of taking the bus, especially during the morning.
Creating Something
The act of creating something—writing a short story, baking cookies, or even making a simple Pinterest craft—has the ability to make you feel accomplished and validated. While in the process of creating whatever it might be, anxious feelings often tend to slip away for the time being.
It might take a few attempts at different activities to find a creative outlet that works for you—I used to try drawing whenever I was feeling anxious, but I would often become preoccupied with making my drawings “perfect”, which would only increase my anxiety. Now I have found that writing and playing around with makeup are two of my favorite ways to channel my anxiety into something creative. By testing out different creative outlets, you are bound to find something that works for you. And by doing this creative activity often to cope with anxiety, you might find yourself becoming quite talented at whatever it may be.
Face Your Fears
People struggling with anxiety have a whole host of fears that may seem trivial or irrational to outsiders. Negative thinking is extremely common in those who have anxiety, and it can hold us back from meeting new people and trying new things.
For myself, something I fear is making eye contact with others. When someone pointed out to me that I rarely ever make eye contact when I’m talking to others, I became self-conscious about it. It led me to become more aware of this trait, so I decided to make something out of it. For the past couple of months, I mindfully try to make eye contact with at least one person every day. At first it was very uncomfortable, but over time it led me to have more engaging conversations and feel more confident when talking with others.
Whatever your anxious thoughts might be about a situation, try replacing those thoughts with something more positive, such as, “what if it works out?”. You might not overcome your anxieties on the first try, but by becoming more mindful of your fears and facing them in small doses is the best way to conquer them.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises can be very effective at calming the mind and body during times of high anxiety and even hyperventilation. As with any other technique, it may not work on the first try, but with repeated practice you will become much better at calming yourself down during intense anxiety. Taking calm, deep breaths has a soothing effect that can be helpful when dealing with high anxiety.
The best way to perform this is by sitting in a chair with your back straight and your arms on the armrests. Take a deep, slow breath through your nose for 5 seconds, hold for a few more seconds, and breathe out slowly through your mouth for 7 seconds. Repeat this 10 times—by the tenth breath, you’ll feel more relaxed and levelheaded.
High anxiety and anxiety attacks are two different things—if you find yourself suffering an anxiety attack, you could feel as though you are not able to catch your breath whatsoever. Feeling like you can’t catch your breath will only lead to more anxiety. In this situation, it is important to breathe from your stomach instead of your chest in order to feel any relief.
Do this by opening your mouth and gently sighing, allowing your muscles to relax. Close your mouth and pause for a few seconds. Keeping your mouth closed, inhale slowly through your nose by pushing your stomach out. When you’ve inhaled as much air as you can comfortably, stop and pause for a few seconds. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth by pulling your stomach in. Repeat this until you feel yourself calming down. It can be helpful to watch breathing tutorials or use a breathing app to guide you through breathing exercises.
Dealing with an anxiety disorder, especially as a college student, proves to be a challenge every single day. Overcoming anxiety requires constant time and effort, and reaching out for help from a variety of different resources is the best way to treat the disorder. While therapists, medication, and support from friends and family can help tremendously, it is equally as important to know that you have the power to fight back against your anxiety. By trying out different coping mechanisms and finding out what works for you and your anxiety, you will slowly but surely become more confident in terms of effectively battling your mental illness.