Dear Students with Anxiety,
Have you ever suffered from anxiety that affects your life daily? Most students in college suffer anxiety whether it's from tests, job interviews, or social encounters. According to a survey of college students , "80 percent say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress." A very high percentage, but although this is high it can be contained or stopped in its track. People may ask "How do I stop anxiety or reduce it?" Meditation is something that reduces stress and anxiety by relaxing the mind and tension upon that person. Plan ahead so procrastination isn't a factor and social support is always something that will distribute happiness and smiles that can't be replaced. Little bits of anxiety can make someone do better than usual, but too much can take a toll on one's life through such pain and suffering. College students live with anxiety every day, but it all gets better when that mindset is changed and others around them give them that positive feedback to keep them going.
There are certain situations where anxiety can occur and really affect one's life. A a kid in college doesn't realize he has a test tomorrow and hasn't even started studying. He asks his friend, "When do we have a test for this class?" The friend laughs and says "Bro, we have a test tomorrow, you haven't checked your syllabus?" This is when anxiety kicks in and the kid starts to freak out because of how many chapters he has to study to pass one test consisting of 100 multiple choice questions. The kid starts sweating and can't even sleep because of how drowned he is with anxiety.The test isn't even in the afternoon, it's in the morning 8:00 a.m.
In another study, it showed that "90 percent of female college students reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do in the previous 12 months (14 percentage points higher than college men)." This leading to anxiety because many women want to feel perfect or reach that perfect stage and some women feel less intelligent than men, even though their grade point averages say otherwise. Anxiety doesn't only happen from personality or lifestyles; it can be genetic from someone in your family that suffered or suffers from an anxiety disorder. Do things before the time it is due and never stay in one spot, merge rather than stay stagnant.
Living with anxiety isn't easy, but don't put yourself down all the time. Making it to college is a big step and your future is very close, a career will soon approach your very eyes whether you believe it or not. Anxiety is just an obstacle almost every college student faces; It can just be a part of life in a dormitory college. Just keep your head up and smile through the struggles.
Sincerely,
Zitouni
