It’s incredibly hard for me to sit here and break down all the advice I want to give for dealing with anxiety (or any mental health issue); every individual has a complex reaction to anxiety triggering situations. It’s so difficult to pin point exact ways that you can deal with your personal anxiety as it varies for every individual.
So, instead this post offers a few immediate actions that you can take that will work to calm and comfort you in the short term. Although, never be afraid to seek professional medical, you’d be surprised how many people suffer during fresher’s week and beyond, visiting a counsellor or seeing the doctor is not uncommon.
Tip 1: Breath.
Breathing exercises can be incredibly useful. Deep breathing can be a powerful tool in calming any symptoms of panic and you can do this subtly in any given situation. Just put your hand on your stomach, exhale, pause, inhale so you can feel your stomach inflate, pause, exhale and repeat. For more information on this (and a demonstrative video) visit anxietycoach.com. (http://www.anxietycoach.com/breathingexercise.html).
Tip 2: Write things down.
You could keep a journal or list things it doesn’t matter, but there are benefits to writing down how you’re feeling. Your thoughts will feel more structured once you’ve noted them down, they may seem clearer or they may seem more manageable when you see them in physical words on a page.
I recommend writing a list of positive things that have happened during the stressful period of freshers or writing down all the reasons you originally came to University. The act of writing solidifies these positive thoughts, makes them definite and also becomes something you can refer back to when needed.
Tip 3: Create a safe place.
My safe place throughout the whole of first year was the bathroom. There’s just something about a small space that I’m familiar with that makes me feel safe, like I couldn’t be accessed by anyone outside that room. I would go in there to calm down and take a few minutes every now and then.
I’m not saying you should shut your self away constantly. I’m just saying it can be a good idea to have somewhere to escape to, somewhere that’s private and is always available.
Tip 4: Recreate your happiest moments.
This tip requires some reflection and thinking, but it can help you beyond freshers week to maintain a happy lifestyle. After your first few days try to pinpoint the situations, the moments that have made you feel the most relaxed and happy. Who was there? Where were you? What were you doing?
Its likely that revisiting the elements of this happy moment will once again make you feel happy! However, its all about trial and error in finding the things that help you. For example, during first year, I felt happy watching ‘American Horror Story’ with my flatmates. Although, when I tried to watch it on my own, I found I wasn’t really enjoying it. What I liked in the first situation was everyone being together and making jokes about the show.
Tip 5: Push yourself in small doses.
In CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) they teach you about something called ‘exposure therapy’. Sounds daunting, but it can be very effective if you keep working at it. The basic idea is that you expose yourself to the things that make you anxious so that you can better deal with them. The more you do the thing that makes you anxious without any distractions, the more you’ll adjust and the stronger you’ll become.
This concept can be terrifying despite its beneficial effects. I recommend not trying to do too much at once, just push yourself in small doses. Take small steps forward instead of expecting yourself to instantly stop being anxious.
I hope these tips are reassuring and helpful to you, whether you’re anxious in anticipation for your fresher’s week or struggling with anxiety in general. Remember, no matter how effective any of these tips are they are no replacement for professional help. Don’t be afraid to speak out, you are not alone and you don’t have to put up with the way you feel.
By Emma Tanser
*Emma has a brilliant blog that covers all sorts from style diaries to advice, all from her personal view as “An Anxious Twenty-Something” so make sure to take a look for some more great posts!*
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