What is anxiety?

Anxiety is characterized by excessive worrying about situations that happen daily. When you cannot stop ruminating about your everyday problems, which seem impossible, you may have anxiety. Many people suffer from anxious thoughts, but clinical anxiety is different. The condition is when you cannot stop worrying, impacting your quality of life. Many college students have anxiety, and there are some tips you can use to alleviate your worry or manage it so that you’re not suffering.

Stress reduction

You may have heard the term stress reduction. The phrase is straightforward because you actively seek to decrease your stress levels.

Meditation

There are many ways to decrease stress, and one of them is meditation. You can take as little as 10 minutes a day to close your eyes and focus on your breathing to return to a place of feeling grounded. As a college student, you have many demands on you. Maybe you are working a job to pay for college and studying. That can be very stressful. But meditation can help you clear your mind and focus on what you need to do for your academic career.

Exercise

Engaging in regular exercise can decrease your stress levels. Whether it’s walking at a brisk pace to class or joining the campus gym, exercise can make you feel less anxious. You are releasing endorphins, those feel-good hormones. You may take a class as part of your academic credits. There are many different exercise options when in college. But it’s important to consider exercise as a form of stress relief.

Take breaks

It’s important to schedule regular breaks to clear your mind and take you away from your stressors. Academic life can be taxing on your mind and body. Sometimes people develop gastrointestinal issues because their school anxiety is that bad. That’s why taking a breather and getting away from your schoolwork is crucial to your mental health. It can be as simple as taking a walk around campus, calling a friend, going out for coffee and stepping away from the computer, reading a book, or listening to music. As long as you remove yourself from your academic demands, that matters. You will come back less anxious and with a clear head, ready to focus on your studies.

Socializing

You’re there to get an education in college, but it’s also crucial to develop social relationships. You want to make sure you get to know other students and develop real human connections. It’s critical to balance your academic life with your social life. Part of stress relief is when you have friends to share your experiences in life. You don’t have to work all the time.

Focusing on your studies and balancing spending time with friends and working on your academics is essential. It can decrease stress to do something fun. Make sure you factor fun into your college experience. You will look back and remember the fun times you had with friends and the work you did to further your education. Your college life needs to be a well-rounded experience rather than solely focusing on the grind of studying for exams.

Therapy

Part of understanding yourself is learning about human psychology. If this is your concentration or major in college, you’re off to a good start and understanding how people behave. If you’re having trouble understanding yourself, you might consider seeking help. When you find it challenging to manage anxiety and you can’t seem to do it on your own, it’s okay to seek support. You can start by going to the health center on campus and asking to speak with a mental health professional.

Talking to a therapist can be a way to release some of your stress and anxiety. If you have any anxiety disorder, those feelings will not go away, but a mental health professional can help you work through those emotions. They can help you develop coping skills to manage that anxiety and provide tips on what to do when everything seems overwhelming. You could see a local counselor or consider working on your issues and online therapy. Whatever you choose, remember that there are ways to manage anxiety, and you have the power to handle those complicated feelings.