Accept Anxiety: It’s Real, It’s Normal and It’s Treatable

By Grace DeBoer

(all images sourced from Unsplash.com, GIF sourced from google images)

One of the hardest challenges I have faced as an anxious person in college is feeling ashamed of my anxiety. But letting shame in wasn’t fair to me, and it’s not fair to let shame make you feel like your anxiety is wrong. Everyone feels anxiety in their lifetimes, some not as much as others, but it is just part of the human experience. Whether you feel panic in new places, or feel stressed about an exam, it’s important to remember that anxiety is a normal feeling. When you feel these big emotions in college, allow yourself to feel them.

You are Not Alone

When I was new to campus, I witnessed people form large friend groups within the first few weeks but I felt embarrassed that I hadn’t found my people yet. I felt nervous approaching new people because of this and felt self-conscious, and worried that maybe something was wrong with me if everyone else already had friends. However, I soon learned I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Anyone in a new environment is going to feel normal jitters! I met plenty of people in the same boat as me, even friends that went to different schools expressed how intimidating making new friends can be when everyone else seems to have it figured out.

This is just one example of where big emotions of anxiety can come into play at college. The fear of not making friends quickly, not being able to achieve good grades, missing deadlines, not doing enough to build a resume and missing out on fun experiences, can all lead one to feel extremely overwhelmed at school. If you have felt anxiety about any of these things, know that you aren’t the only one experiencing feelings like this.

Friendly reminders.

Ask for Help

When you face these intense feelings of anxiety, however, you can’t ignore them. Doing nothing about it does you a disservice. Allowing these emotions to marinate can lead to an anxiety attack, or worse and that’s something you want to prevent. Be sure to lean on your support group at school. Sometimes you might just need a pick-me-up phone call from a family member, or need to take a walk with your friend to clear your head. If you feel that your anxiety is out of your control and that your circle of support cannot help you to the extent you require, it is essential to ask for professional help. I use Zoom to stay in contact with my therapist while I’m at college. Using your college’s on-campus mental health resources and counseling is something to be utilized in times of crisis, or just to have a consistent routine to check in on your headspace.

Mental health professionals can help you find methods to self-soothe in moments of anxiety. Some effective methods include::

• Box breathing, where you can push yourself to breathe slowly and reset your rhythm to calm down

• Finding the colors in the room, where you force your mind out of an anxious spiral by focusing on finding each color of the rainbow around the environment you are in

• Journaling

• Reading things that remind you to have gratitude.

Keeping up with these methods help me to regulate my anxiety immensely, and they can help you too.

From top left to right & bottom left to right: A reminder to stay in touch with your support group, the technique used for box breathing, emphasis on the importance of therapy, and a depiction of journaling.

Accept Your Anxiety

There is no shame in having mental health issues. As someone who was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder over 5 years ago, I know the shame that comes with having a mental health disorder, but I also have learned to accept that it is part of me. Anxiety, although it manifests differently for individuals, is an emotion every human has felt in their life. When you accept that some things might be a little more emotional for you, a little scarier to face and a bit more unnerving to get through, you can find ways to overcome your anxiety. Knowing that you aren’t alone in these struggles helps, as well as having an established support system and consistent methods to rely on.

A reminder to accept yourself and your anxiety.

Don’t let these emotions get in the way of enjoying all the incredible experiences college presents to you. You can accept it as part of your identity, but remember that it can’t control you – you are more than your anxiety.