That horrible knot in your stomach. The wave of nausea in your mouth. The busy thoughts in your mind. Welcome to the world of anxiety. It’s a powerful emotion, appearing when you’re at your most stressed or worried.
by Lianne Balavage -Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within primary schools
Anxiety can come in many shapes and forms and can leave you feeling alone, stuck in a cloud of uncertainty. However the Mental Health Organisation has reported that young people are more likely to experience anxiety than other age group, so while you may feel like you’re the only person who has felt like this, it’s important to know that it’s a common experience.
I’ve been there and I know how scary that feeling of being so overwhelmed can be like. It’s like you are stuck and life just isn’t feeling as bright. Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with anxiety and help you find your spark again. You only need to search online and there are endless suggestions on how to cope.
It can be trial and error finding the best way to deal with your worries and stress. How you deal with your anxiety must be relatable and enjoyable to you. If someone asked me to meditate during an anxiety episode it would have me climbing the walls. But if you gave me a 5k route and told me to go walk it I’d be back in my happy place in no time.
My top tip for dealing with worries and anxieties would be to set yourself a goal and take small steps to work towards that.
Whether it’s something simple like focusing on breathwork daily; reading a certain amount of pages of a book or getting some exercise done so many times a week. Goals can give us a purpose, motivate us and help us make progress. Small steps lead to lots of miles.
Finishing off with the most important tip, an essential really. Please share your worries. You can talk to someone or write down how you are feeling for them to read. I have ‘my people’ that I go to as soon as I start feeling my mood dip. They listen, spend time with me or give me advice. Whatever I need. You might feel alone but you don’t have to do it alone.
Whatever you do find that works for you, the one thing that will help is consistency. Use your coping techniques as often as you can. These can be used to prevent worries just as much as they help when you feel overwhelmed.
The most important message I have when you feel as if you have the world on your shoulders is think back to the times you felt like this before.
You were maybe once uncertain things would feel better and you managed to get through those tough times. So if these feelings hit again, just remember that one day soon you will look back at this time and realise you got through it, just as you have done before.
If you find your worries or anxiety having a serious impact on your daily life please speak to your GP. While the support mentioned in this blog can be helpful, sometimes anxiety may need to be treated by medication, another perfectly normal way to support yourself.
For more resources for young people visit: d-exy.com
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