It's currently a Monday morning, but it's not a typical Monday morning.

It is one where I feel sluggish and one where I wish I was anyone but myself.

That is all because my anxiety kept me up until 7 am and now I'm experiencing what I like to call an "anxiety hangover". Days like this don't happen all that often, but when they do, they take a toll on me. Because of it, I also missed class this morning, which only exemplifies the guilt that I am feeling.

I want to cry. I feel disappointed in myself. I wish I wasn't like this.

But this isn't a "feel sorry for me" article. This is a "you're not alone" article.

Anxiety is rough as it is. It can affect you mentally, emotionally, and physically. It's hard to feel good physically when you don't feel good emotionally or mentally. It has the ability to render you completely useless, where the only thing you feel like doing is curling up on a couch or hiding away in your room. When you pair that with college, well, it just makes everything worse.

In college, you rarely have free time. You always have some kind of due date, some meeting or class to attend, or something to worry about. You can't afford days off unless you're okay with being behind for two weeks. There just isn't time for you to focus on your mental health and to take time out of your day to make sure that you're okay.

But that doesn't mean that you're not going to be okay. I know how it feels. Sometimes it feels like you're drowning and like there's no silver lining, but there is. I know it sounds cliche, and I know people have probably said it a million times, but things get better.

One thing I've learned over the years, and it's something that I still struggle with, is that I am not my anxiety. My anxiety is going to try and take me down. It's going to try and cripple me. But it doesn't have that power unless I allow it to. It's mind over matter, and unfortunately, your mind can be a pretty powerful thing. But you have to at least try to fight it. It's so much easier said than done, but it's not impossible. You have to take it slowly. Anxiety is not something that you can just fix overnight.

Take one day at a time and I guarantee you'll look back on this time of your life one day and be glad you never gave up.