It's that time of the year where the school year quickly approaches the end. There are many assignments that must be completed and last minute errands to run. My anxiety has the tendency to heighten and get worse as a result. It becomes difficult to practice self-care and cope with the anxiety. I'm pretty sure there are many other students that go through this as well. As someone with anxiety, I've fortunately been able to find ways to cope with my anxiety that are really easy to implement in your daily life with all the free time you'll have with summer on its way!
1. Find a hobby.
Discovering the activities that have the ability to take me to a happy place has done a lot for my headspace. After a long day I love to spend an hour or two on my Tumblr account, or tweeting funny images with my followers, or recording random Snapchat videos for my story. It allows me to be social with all types of people and I get a little glimpse of their lives and it helps me forget about mine and lets me know that I'm not alone in whatever I'm going through. Find that thing that warms your soul and clears your headspace.
2. Go out and breathe.
I don't know about others, but being outside in nature can always bring me back to that happy place in my head. Feeling the breeze against my skin and hearing the melodic chirps of the birds always reminds me how beautiful life is. Whenever I'm dealing with a dilemma or in a bad mood and it begins to consume my happiness, spending time outside always reminds me that whatever happens in my life, the world will continue to turn and all other walks of life will continue to go on. So either I sulk in negativity or just brush it off and keep on going with the world.
3. Meditation and yoga are KEY.
I never thought meditation and yoga would be activities that I would implement in my daily life and routines. Both meditation and yoga have the ability to clear my headspace and keep it that way for the whole day. For me, I like meditating more than doing yoga. Life before meditation was really cloudy. Sometimes I got really anxious and irritable. But thanks to meditating, it has taught me how to maintain a constant and steady breath throughout the day. It also allows me to perceive things better and it puts me in a better mood. All you need is 10 to 20 minutes doing either and you'll feel amazing.
4. Count some ZZZ's.
Believe it or not, your brain needs rest to rewire itself and clear out your headspace. I've noticed the difference in my mental state when I receive very little sleep compared to when I receive 6 to 8 hours of sleep. When I don't receive 6 to 8 hours of sleep, my anxiety heightens and I really can't hold a clear thought. It becomes really difficult to do homework, interpret information, and carry out simple conversations. But when I have a good amount of sleep, I can conquer all that comes my way and still maintain a positive outlook on everything and attending to my academic responsibilities.
5. Become a creator.
There aren't enough words in the dictionary for me to describe the joy, empowerment, and self-confidence that comes over me when I create art. A lot of people have a misconception of what it means to create art. Art is self-expression in my opinion and that can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For me, I like to turn on some music and just dance. I like to turn on an instrumental and sing my heart out. Sometimes I like to write poems, monologues, or music reviews on my blog. When I'm outside, I like to take pictures. Just create something and start expressing yourself whenever you feel a little down.
Coping with anxiety can be challenging but it's up to you to find your way out and conquer it. Whether that means pursuing a hobby you enjoy, going on a nature walk and greeting the earth, or meditating. If none of those sound good, get some extra sleep and wake up with a glow! If you've been feeling a creative spark in you, light it up and let it burn. And most importantly, always remember that anxiety is not in control, you are in control.
