A feeling occurs.

Let's say you are having a CRAZY BUSY week: you have something due in every subject, you are working more hours at your part-time job, your friends want to go out, you have meetings that are mandatory, and you haven't talked to your mom in a while.

You are trying your hardest to keep your head above water and not freak out. Even so silently, anxiety creeps in. You feel your shoulders are tenser than normal. You can't seem to get enough sleep.

You are becoming more impatient and nervous with others around you. Yep, you are anxious and stressed.

Accept the feeling.

Instead of chalking it up and dismissing the feeling, accept it. Let the anxious- stressed feeling happen.

You are only human, not a happy-go-lucky, do-it-all machine. Once you accept the feeling, it becomes easier to manage it.

Write it out.

Since I have a hard time piecing together why I'm feeling a certain way, it helps if I write it out to get clarity. First, I will describe the emotion and how it is affecting me.

Then, I will write out things that can help cope with the feeling. For example, I result in meditation or mindfulness, exercise, doing something for me (as simple as watching a movie), and even catching up on alone time. Those are more tangible ways to cope.

I will also write out questions to ask myself like, "Have you been open to too many people?", "Are you filling a void?", "Are your relationships mutual?", and "Do you expect too much of others?" Writing out what's in my head brings visual clarity and helps me figure out what I need to do to heal and grow.

Take action.

Writing it out won't do the job for you. Now that you have a clear idea of what's going on inside and how to approach it, you can take action to help surface the feeling, work it out, and heal from it.