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Tag: anxiety

  • Dealing with Anxiety

    Dealing with Anxiety

    Feeling tense or overwhelmed is normal, especially for a student juggling a variety of responsibilities. However, if you constantly experience intense stress, fear of failure, and feelings of inadequacy, the problem may be deeper than you expect.

    Anxiety is not something to be taken lightly: it is an important mental health issue that affects many individuals, and can have a virtually crippling effect on their lives. Students can be particularly susceptible to anxiety, given the often overwhelming post-secondary environment and other factors like economic pressures, family issues, or the challenge of finding a career.

    If you experience constant anxiety, or if someone you know has trouble with anxiety, it is important to solve the problem before it gets worse. Anxiety can manifest itself through constant worrying, a severe lack of self-confidence, and panic attacks (bursts of fear and other troubling emotions), among other symptoms. Many individuals experience these things without being clinically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but if these symptoms become prevalent, know that there are ways to seek help.

    Whether you feel personally affected or know someone who is, here are some tips for dealing with anxiety.

    Be kind to yourself. Individuals with anxiety often beat themselves up for making small mistakes that seem trivial in hindsight. It may be difficult, but don’t be afraid of failure. There will always be something to worry about or something you can improve upon. The most important thing is that you did your best, and that you will learn from your mistakes in the future.

    Take it one day at a time. Anxiety doesn’t appear out of the blue—oftentimes it is the product of long periods of intense stress, pressure, and hyperactivity. That being said, you cannot expect an anxiety issue to go away overnight, nor should you be disappointed or blame yourself when it takes you a while to recover. Take the process day by day, and be reflective about your own progress.

    Find someone you trust. This can be a friend, family member, or virtually anyone who you can speak to in confidence. If you feel comfortable talking to them, and feel like they will support you, open up to them. If this individual gives you their permission, they can be a fantastic resource. Ask them to try and calm you down or seek the appropriate help or medical attention should you ever require it.

    Know your options. University and college campuses should have mental health support services on campus, whether in the form of online counseling, one-on-one sessions, or group therapy. If these services do not prove adequate, speak to a doctor to find out the best ways you can deal with your mental health.

    For more information and support, see your guidance counselor, find a mental health center on campus, or seek out professional medical counseling.

  • Thriving with Anxiety: Where does it come from, and what can I do about it?

    Thriving with Anxiety: Where does it come from, and what can I do about it?

    You are sitting in class. The clock ticks. Then it hits you: Your heart runs wild and beads of sweat run down your forehead. Anxiety comes hard and fast, but with reportedly one in five teens suffering from it, you are far from alone. Yet so many of us still see it as a crippling weakness, as something they have to hide.

    We live in a world of competition. Students compete for the honour roll. Graduates compete for internships and jobs. Even friendship and dating is a competition to be selected as a friend or romantic partner. Anxiety can hurt your grades, your work opportunities, and social interactions. So how did humans end up with such a burdensome trait?

    There is a specific part of the brain that handles anxiety called the amygdala. It may be hard to pronounce, but all you need to know is that it is a very small part of the brain that handles strong emotions like fear, anxiety, and aggression. The amygdala focuses on survival in the face of danger, and was essential to our evolution as a species. The problem is that it overrides other emotions and bodily functions. This makes sense when a predator is chasing you, but not when sitting in a classroom.

    We evolved to associate certain sounds, like the roar of a predator, with danger. We would know when to be scared and to run away. When that same mechanism associates certain sounds and sights with anxiety, it creates phobias that we struggle with. A traumatic event like a failed test can trigger this, and cause you to fear tests far more than is healthy. Anxiety was a useful tool for survival that is trying to adapt to a modern society very different from the world in which we evolved.

    In that problem lies the solution: The very nature of evolution is the idea of change. You are not doomed to have anxiety forever. Therapy can make a huge difference. This is nothing to be ashamed about, and is no different than getting treated for a papercut. The brain is a physical organ, and needs to be cared for and receive treatment just like any other part of the body.

    Find your triggers. Whenever anxiety strikes, grab a pen as soon as possible. Write down the time and place, what was happening, and what thoughts went through your head. By keeping a log, you will find patterns that are hard to spot in the midst of an anxiety attack. When in a calmer state, you can write responses to these moments and thoughts, challenging them using a calm and rational state of mind. This is a component of cognitive behavioural therapy, which emphasizes the importance of thoughts and how they influence moods. By looking at anxiety as something that can be treated, you can begin working on the bandage that will make it better.

    Sources:
    AnxietyBC. Parent and Child.
    http://www.anxietybc.com/parenting/parent-child

    The Doctor Says. Where does anxiety come from?
    http://www.thedoctorsays.com/anxiety/where-does-anxiety-come-from/

  • The Competitive Nature of Scholarships: Some Tips on How to Deal

    The Competitive Nature of Scholarships: Some Tips on How to Deal

    When you hear the word “scholarships”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Money? Reward? Work? How about competition? Some scholarships you don’t need to compete against others, but most of the time, you do. That can be an intimidating thought. There are many different types of scholarships out there. Some are related to sports, academia, the arts, and social activism. Applying for a scholarship in any case is a time to show your best self, proving that you are a worthy candidate for the goods in store. This means going above and beyond your usual work ethic.

    If you are applying for sports scholarships, you may already have that natural competitive nature about you-this is a good thing. Scholarship applications can be time consuming and stressful. Scholarship interviews are even more taxing. You can think of it as being interviewed for a job, and there are tons of other people wanting that same job, too.

    The bottom line when it comes to applying for scholarships is that you can only do the best you can, and also hope for the best result. Don’t give yourself more anxiety than you have to- this might hinder your chances.

    Basic tips and things to remember:

    • Make sure you give yourself LOTS of time to fill out the application form. This way, if you think of something more you want/need to add to the application, you will have enough time to do it.
    • Make sure you have a few other people in your circle check out your application form, making sure everything is in the right place. One small mistake could cost you the scholarship.
    • Think out of the box. Some scholarships call for more creativity than others, so don’t be afraid to inquire about the scholarship and see if you can add something a bit extra on your application, or present in your interview.
    • Practice your interview skills. If you will be meeting with the people giving the scholarship, make sure you are chilled-out and ready to blow them away. People can sense anxiety when someone walks in the room, so take deep breaths, do meditation or “leader posing” before you enter the room. This will make you feel strong!
    • If you are applying for a big scholarship that looks over your whole high-school or college history, make sure you examine or write down all your achievements and see what else you can improve on, before you apply. Adding to your curricular repertoire will always help you in the end. So, beef it up!
    • Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
    • Don’t tell anyone you are applying to a specific scholarship. This may be a bit secretive or sneaky, but as soon as you tell your friends or other students, they might apply themselves and you will be in direct competition with them. It is really up to you, but this is where that competitive thinking must come into play.

    Don’t let the competitive nature of scholarships scare you; let it fuel you! Bring out your fierce and dedicated nature and you might be surprised by the results. When you hear athletes speak about competing in the Olympics, you may notice that they never doubt themselves before their competition- they MUST win. Apply that attitude and you might just beat the competition and win your just reward.

  • The Importance of Student Mental Health

    The Importance of Student Mental Health

    School is a trying environment: it’s understandable that juggling academics, extra-curriculars and personal issues can be overwhelming. That being said, it’s important to keep yourself healthy and not let the stress of student life get to your head. This will not only help you do better academically, it will contribute to your overall happiness.

    Consider two students writing the same exam. One, having studied, feels confident and prepared; overall, he is calm and collected, ready to work. The other student has also studied—but he hasn’t gotten any sleep because of the stress and is extremely anxious about what lies ahead, barely being able to sit still. The first student will be able to focus, complete the test with confidence, and walk out of the exam room with a positive attitude. The other, even though he’s spent just as much time preparing, is likely to do much worse, and after the test will be extremely disappointed with himself.

    If you identify more with the second student—and feel worried and stressed on a daily basis—you must consider taking better care of yourself. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising as often as you can. But health is more than that. It’s important to pay attention to how you’re feeling and whether you’re treating yourself with the respect and compassion you deserve.

    A big factor that can completely deteriorate mental health is stress, but it is often difficult to avoid it in a school environment. The key is to achieve a balance between working hard and relaxation—of course, your grades will suffer if you do nothing but watch TV (even if that is relaxing!), but you’ll also find it more difficult to concentrate if you’re obsessing over your studies hours or days on end. Take breaks when you’re studying and be kind to yourself. In many cases, there is only so much you can do.

    Using stress as a motivator is a good strategy to ensure you’re doing well without cracking under the pressure. For example, if you’re assigned a huge project, try not to freak out over the sheer magnitude of work you have to do and instead focus on the positives. Through your research, you could stumble upon some really interesting things. Channel that stress over the upcoming deadline into your interest in the topic and not only will you feel better, you’ll likely do better on the project overall.

    Finally, everyone makes mistakes. But beating yourself up over a low grade or a silly mistake is not only bad for your mental state (it weakens your self-confidence), it’s also not very constructive. Instead of constantly being self-deprecating, look critically at what went wrong, and learn from it: see if you can do better next time. And don’t forget to reward yourself for what you did right, too!

    For more information on student mental health, see your guidance counselor.

  • The Importance of Finding Peace Within

    The Importance of Finding Peace Within

    In a world filled with obligations and seemingly never ending stress, finding inner peace can seem like the stuff of fairytales. The reality is that the majority of us are feeling the pressure of our daily lives in a big way. Poor quality food (yes chips, I am talking about you), poor sleeping habits (five hours a day truly isn’t enough) and mismanaged time can leave a person feeling perpetually like a ping pong ball darting back and forth on the table of life.

    As busy as our lives might be, it is important to find the time to look inwards to find a sense of peace in order to have some semblance of balance. Not only does finding inner peace feel good, it is essential. Inner peace means different things to different people, but the core of the definition remains the same; feeling internal harmony with an absence of internal strife. As previously mentioned, inner peace is essential; our three states of being (physical, spiritual and mental) rely upon it. Without it, anxiety, stress, depression, fear and restlessness – all bi-products of an absence of inner peace – are given leeway to take over our lives.

    As cliché as this may sound, inner peace helps to make the world go round. Let’s take that statement and apply it to a hypothetical situation. If there was a doctor who was manic depressive and due to his depression was unable to focus for long periods of time, developed chronic memory loss or became unreliable in his or her attendance at the office, said doctor could wind up causing some serious damage to or even killing one or more of his or her patients. The wrong medication could be prescribed, a client could be misdiagnosed or a hopeful patient would have traveled to the doctor’s office in vain looking for an absent doctor. Medical and legal chaos would ensue. As extreme as this example may seem, the absence of inner peace can cause such a large amount of discord in our lives through blindsided snowball effects that it can alter it and those around us.

    In an effort to find inner peace many of us turn to spirituality or religion. As the Dalai Lama so wisely stated, “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” His words mirror the teachings of so many religions today. In some way, shape or form, every religion functions on the act of mastering internal peace and then applying it externally. This transference of peace dictates the way that we live and communicate. Aside from religion, other methods of obtaining inner peace are through meditation, listening or creating music or engaging in a relaxing activity. Regardless of what you choose to do, remember that a peaceful person is a happy person and so are the people around them.

  • Stress Recognition and Elimination

    Stress Recognition and Elimination

    Dealing with stress can be a struggle between light and dark, between hope and despair, and between what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes we are provoked by an event or a situation that creates an upsetting condition called stress. Stress is when we feel tension or pressure, as if in a dilemma. This condition can be easily remedied, however it does take practice to be able to fully overcome the stress.

    Recognizing stress is the first step, and this skill can be developed over time. Often it can be developed simply by saying out loud, “I am stressed out right now”. Being able to recognize your emotional state allows you to see your condition more objectively and to take a step back so that you may help yourself. There are always solutions to stress, and being able to pull yourself out of it is one key way of ensuring your overall happiness and well being. As we age, this skill of overcoming stress comes more naturally. However, it often does have to come from a devoted effort at recognizing and understanding how simple stress is to overcome.

    In extreme cases, there are conditions of stress that result in a psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety. This is often the result of an imbalanced brain chemistry, severe family tensions or severe anxiety-provoking situations like having been in a war. This condition is impressively frequent, with one in four Canadians having an anxiety disorder over their lifetime (anxietycanada.ca, 2013).

    In most cases, anxiety can easily be relieved by becoming conscious of when one is anxious or stressed and focusing how you can overcome the condition. Some people are soothed and made at ease by familiar things, familiar people, and familiar foods. Other people need to practice certain routines that put them back into a good head space. It is very important for people to identify things that make them feel good and to know that stress can be relieved by simply utilizing those de-stressing things, people, foods or routines. Sometimes, however, people can abuse this formula by resorting to things or foods that, as a by-product of their de-stressing effect, create secondary effects that are undesirable. This situation is commonly found among people who resort to drugs, alcohol or gambling to relieve their stress. This is called maladaptive coping because, instead of creating a relief from stress, it a major secondary effect like addiction or becoming overweight.

    It is important, when creating a stress-relieving formula, to choose a solution to stress that has positive side effects! Positive options for stress relief can include lighting candles and taking a warm bubble bath, exercising, taking a nap, talking to a friend or family member, making a healthy and nutritious meal, relaxing with friends, writing, reading, watching a favorite show or movie, and so much more. There are many ways to positively eliminate stress, so start practicing ways that work for you!