Tips and Tricks


Tips and tricks for the worried/stressed/anxiety ridden person, just like me. This article is written by a peer, who wants to give advice on how to deal with certain stressful scenarios. I am in no way a professional, and in no way have these “solutions” completely cured my anxiety/stress levels, but they often work for me! Therefore, please do take into account my thoughts and opinions in this article, as I hope they can help you, the reader, to relax in times of angst. But keep in mind, if you feel extremely overwhelmed, or even if you just need to talk, it is always best to seek out counseling. 

Example 1: 
Scenario: Your friend has been acting distant lately. You have absolutely no idea why. You go up to them and ask what’s going on, and they say nothing but still act distant.
What goes through your head: “Why are they still being distant? I must’ve done something. Maybe I was rude when I first talked to them this morning? Maybe it’s their birthday and I forgot? What if someone died? Ohhh, they’re probably sick. Wait, they didn’t sound sick. I definitely did something.” 
Possible solution: First of all, you haven’t directly addressed your problem with your friend. Though confrontation can be a stressor in itself, it can just as well be a cure. An effective solution to avoid the anxiety and all of the “what if’s,” is to go up to your friend and be frank with them. Try to ask, “Is there something I have done to make you upset? I feel like something is up by the way you are acting.” Just imagine that their answer is, “No, you did nothing wrong. I’ve just been feeling off lately.” All of that time that you spent on those irrational thoughts was for nothing! I wish I knew why we all get these crazy thoughts in our heads, and then we obsess over them. There probably is a scientific reason behind it, but last time I checked, I failed science and the only thing I truly understand is that the anxiety behind the thought of someone being mad at you, is the worst. It’s a scary situation to be in, I get it. But it will be a weight off your shoulders once you realize what is really going on, instead of letting your brain create the worst possible scenarios.  

Example 2:
Scenario: You have a million and one things on your plate and you have no time to get anything done. 
What goes through your mind: “I have so much to do, but so little time. I don’t even know where to start. I never do anything right. I’ll let a lot of people down, including myself, if I don’t get all of this done.”
Possible solution: Take it one day at a time. You are only one person, and everyone, including you, needs to understand that. There is only so much a person can do in a day. Why don’t you create a list of all the things you need to get done, then prioritize them.  Say you have a paper due on a Friday, but you also have a midterm to study for on that Friday as well. Prioritize your time for writing the paper and studying for the midterm. Also look at the other things on your list and see if you could get outside help from friends or family. Say you need to drop off mail in the mailbox but you’re caught up with studying for that test. Cross off another task from your list by asking one of your roommates or friends to drop it off in the mailbox on their way out. With time management, prioritizing, and not being afraid to ask for help when needed, everything is manageable! 

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