Your body feels uneasy. Your legs are shaking, moving at a pace you can’t control. Palms are starting to sweat, and you pick at your nails, down to the skin without even knowing it. You can feel a constant churn in your stomach, and your entire body is now in full distress. You try so hard to stay focused but have lost control. All you can think about is what can go wrong. Your mind is racing, just spinning in circles over and over again with no finish line in sight. You stand from your desk and exit the classroom making your way to the closest bathroom. With the bathroom pass in one hand, you move at lightning speed, trying your best not to lose it before you get there. Finally, you enter into what feels like a cave, surrounded by dark gray cement walls, the pioneer blue stalls all empty, and the white stone sinks barely mounted to the wall any longer. Directly above the sink 3” X 3” neon pink sticky notes with scribbled words of encouragement. Ironically, the words are anything but encouraging, and if anything, you are sure everything in the bathroom is closing in around you. Once you’re sure you’re alone, you pray it stays this way, so no one will ever see the fear and the worry all over your face. You breathe deeply, in then out, in, then out, and repeat, trying to regain the control over your body you had only moments earlier. Your focus slowly comes back into view as you concentrate on deblurring the image of you in the mirror. As you continue trying all you’ve learned about gaining and maintaining control, your efforts are failing.  The pacing, the overthinking, imagining the worst, it all revs back up again. “Why can’t I make this stop?” you ask yourself. Then, suddenly you hear footsteps, and they’re headed in your direction. You move swiftly towards the mirror, finding your place in front of it, setting your go-to cover-up into motion. You fix your eyes on yourself and casually begin to fluff your hair. The footsteps continue to get louder now, and only when they are directly beside you does the stomping stop. Glancing to your left, you force a fake smile as if to say hello, but more importantly to ensure that there’s not even a hint of the internal struggle you silenced only seconds before. If you can relate to even bits and pieces of this, continue reading. You may find a shred of relief at the very least. 

First, it’s important to know that every teenager has experienced a moment in their lives when the anxiety hit them unexpectedly. Oftentimes, it’s written off as overreacting, bad nerves, etc. This response is dangerous because by doing so, you fail to recognize the signs; therefore you need to learn how to implement strategies to keep your emotions in control, rather than letting them control you. You also run the chance of increasing the anxiety because you are not equipped to battle the condition in a productive way. Anxiety doesn’t have to be something to feel ashamed of or an emotion to fear. Instead, think of it as an emotion that alerts your mind and body of potential circumstances, environments, and scenarios that may stir up strong feelings. In these moments, when anxiety begins to surface, don’t panic. Allow yourself to take in the signs as they begin to approach and take note of even just one strategy that makes you feel in control. By understanding that anxious feelings are sometimes your body’s natural response to certain circumstances, you allow yourself the chance to be positive in your response and maintain healthy control. So again, when anxiety strikes, don’t strike out by running away and ignoring it. Instead determined to recognize it, face it, and fight it. You’ll end up stronger because of it.  

Now that you know that you can’t run from or overlook anxious emotions, the next thing you want to focus on is the triggers, and how very crucial they are to helping you keep your anxiety under control. Visualize yourself at a time when you recognize feeling overwhelmed, nervous, or anxious. At that moment, what was your body movement like? How did you feel? Were you able to concentrate? What was around you? What was the environment like? Was it quiet and calm, or active and maybe even chaotic? These are crucial questions to think about and ask yourself because the answers to them can help you recognize when anxiety may be trying to surface again. If you can identify certain emotions that you were feeling when you may have been anxious in your past, it will make it easier for you to make the connection when they begin to happen again. This is part of the process of recognizing specific triggers. These triggers are your body’s way of passing on a “heads-up” for the potential anxiety attempting to invade your mind and body, so take cover! Be prepared! If you are someone who has a hard time remembering these kinds of things, try writing them down in a notebook or even the Notes App on your phone would be a great start.

Another tip to be aware of is that as unimportant as it may seem, being familiar with the different kinds of anxiety can also help you better understand what you are dealing with. There are three common types of anxiety which are Generalized Anxiety Disorder, sometimes referred to as GAD, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder. GAD is a consistent worry about either specific things or situations, and sometimes just a constant feeling of angst no matter what is going on around you. The muscles in your body are always tense, and you struggle with concentration because your concern about everyone and everything around consumes you. Panic Disorder means that you suffer from panic attacks that can be triggered by something as simple as a reminder of a past traumatic experience, stress that is overwhelming, or even feeling nervous about things that are out of your control. The last of the common three, social anxiety disorder, often sets in when one is in a social setting surrounded by more people than you are comfortable with. Social settings make you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, and you may even struggle with having a normal conversation. Taking the time to identify the kind of anxiety you struggle with is important, and can save a lot of time when trying to determine the strategies that will help you overcome the fight. 

Finally, finding the right person you trust to talk with and reach out to can be one of the most helpful strategies in helping you overcome your fight against anxiety. By having a resource, a person with experience and knowledge about all there is to know about anxiety, you will be more equipped with helpful angles and supports to avoid the negative impacts of anxiety. This may sound like an overwhelming task. How can you find someone that you know will have useful advice for you? Check with people you trust. Search the internet for counselors who specialize in anxiety disorders, or ask your school guidance counselor to help you with your search. Sometimes, you may be able to help yourself just by talking to your best friend, a parent, or a relative you feel close to or trust. No matter who you choose, personal or professional, never underestimate the power of a trustworthy person in your life and the many ways they can help you feel better when life feels crazy. 

The things you have read about are not the only strategies to facing and overcoming anxiety, in fact, quite the opposite though. There are more ideas and efforts that one essay can include. Nonetheless, finding value in even a tiny piece of information makes this worth your time to read!