So you’ve probably heard the word Anxiety thrown around, and you might even wonder if you have Anxiety. In this blog we are going to get to the root of what anxiety is as well as some ways to manage it. Remember, you are not alone. Reach out to support if you need it, Friends, Family, and Teachers are all good places to start if you feel safe with them. Call the emergency #988 Hotline if you need urgent support.
To Start off, What is Anxiety?
Check out the Full Beyond Blue Article on Anxiety Here
“Symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety symptoms can develop over time. Because we all experience anxious feelings, it can be hard to know when to seek support.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety can include:
- feeling very worried or anxious most of the time
- finding it difficult to calm down
- unable to control your anxious thoughts or worries
- feeling tired easily
- difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- muscle tension
- sleep disturbances.
Learn about the Signs and symptoms of anxiety.” (Symptoms list from Beyond Blue – Read the Full Article)
Another factor that can contribute to how anxious you feel is how much stress there is in your life right now… and whether or not you’ve given yourself breaks and time to rest. Check out this video for some tips on Stress Relief:
STOP: If you are experiencing High Anxiety right now as you read this, take a minute to breathe and ground yourself. Here are two videos you can follow along with.
Hopefully those were helpful. They can feel like they were made for a younger audience, but I find that my brain kind of is a younger audience when I am anxious with racing thoughts. It is not silly or strange to take a minute to recoup. It is wise!
If you are looking for a deeper dive from a Licensed Mental Health Professional, check out this video:
That’s a bit of a longer video, but a good one!
I wanted to take a minute to talk about preventing anxiety and just doing an overall mental health reset. How do we do this? Some call it self-care, while others call it therapy! (It’s me, I am “others” Really though, therapy is great! It may take time to find the right fit, so if it doesn’t help you to feel better over time, consider trying a different therapist!)
Okay, sidetrack over, Check out this video on self-care:
Our Minds affect how we feel and how we interpret our thoughts. Many different things go into this; positive and negative outlook, life history, even how the people around you talk can affect the way you think. And the way you think, affects how much anxiety you experience and feel. This scientist did a really interesting experiment on this:
And here’s a really easy to digest video:
That’s probably enough videos for now, but just in case you haven’t found quite the right one yet, scroll through some more here:
HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT 