Being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to others.

It has been around one month since the Duck Cup presentation by Wes Woodson, who talked about his experience with anxiety. The importance of mental health should never go to the back of our minds. Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses affecting 40 million adults each year. Anxiety comes in many forms, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and stress. Anxiety is defined in the dictionary as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” But it can mean so much more. Anxiety is a feeling many experience in their lives, it is a normal emotion when we are worried or tense. But when it begins to consume daily life it becomes unhealthy. People with anxiety struggle to separate a real threat from a perceived threat. 

Anxiety, like any mental illness, is complex. No two cases are the same. Some anxiety causes panic attacks, the sense of danger can be overwhelming and cause you to go into a different state of mind. In a panic attack your breathing becomes rapid along with your heart rate, it begins to be difficult to catch your breath making it more difficult to come down from the panic episode.  Panic attacks can come out of nowhere, for anyone, at any time and can range in severity. You can’t know when they will happen but you can be prepared for when they do. There are hundreds of ways to cope and to reduce anxiety. Some ways are as simple as spending time with a pet, listening to music, drawing, positive affirmations, etc. Others can be things like attending therapy, emotional support animals, affirmations (shown in graphic) and in some cases medication. Whatever method(s) you choose, the only thing that matters is that they work for you.

These are all grounding tactics and their main use is to bring you back down to reality after immense stress. Grounding brings you back into a calm state where you can begin to think rationally. Knowing grounding methods is an important skill to have, whether you use it yourself or use it to help a friend. There are many methods that can be done in many ways, one popular method involves the senses; you pick 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This helps you focus on what is around you and not what is on your mind, if this method does not work for you don’t fret! There are still many methods out there.

Most importantly to reduce anxiety, remember that it is okay to step away and to take a break but also that there are resources for you and that it is okay to ask for help. School resources include our counselors, teachers, and our mental health club Outreach. Your feelings are valid and you are never alone in them. If you are in need of help please reach out and find the resource that works best for you. Remember that you are so worthy and loved.