Anxiety is annoying and complicated on its own, but adding college into the mix makes it more challenging to manage. I've had my fair share of anxiety and panic attacks in class and days where I feel guilty I didn't go to class because my body and mind couldn't do it that day.
I've had to learn the best ways for me to deal with my anxiety to get through college. I'm a first-generation college student in my family, and I felt that added pressure. I want to make myself proud and prove I can do it. Then, there's the stress of making my family proud and doing something great with my life. All of this I'm sure most college students feel no matter if they are first generation or not or if they have anxiety or not. College was extra intimidating and scary because I knew I could quit whenever. I didn't need the parental permission to do it.
So, when I started my freshman year, I told myself it was like high school. I can't quit. I have to keep going. I guess it worked because here I am so close to getting my degree in communication, despite my anxiety.
And you can do it, too.
4 Ways to Manage Anxiety as a College Student
1. Find your quiet space on campus
I'm on campus five days a week and all day - most days. Students, faculty, and visitors fill campuses everywhere, at all times, and that is not for me. So, during my downtime, I like to find spaces with little to no amounts of people in them.
The quiet space allows me to have a second to breathe because if there is so much going on and a lot of noises happening, it can feel like my head is spinning. That headspace makes me feel like I can't concentrate on anything and become very irritable.
Being in a quiet space might not make my anxiety go away completely, but it can stop it from turning into a panic attack for me. This is extremely important to me now. The semester is winding down, and there are a million things to do with deadlines rapidly approaching faster than you think.
2. Know yourself
I didn't do the whole clubs and extracurricular things in high school, save a history honor society, which only met twice a month at most. When I got to college, nothing seemed to intrigue me enough to try them. I became anxious about not joining anything because people always say I must get involved because it's what employers want, and if I have nothing on my resume that I did in college outside lectures, then good luck getting a job.
At least, that's what it has felt like. I was already babysitting, being a full-time student, working part time on campus, and completing other family obligations that I didn't have time - or, rather, I knew my mental health would suffer if I made the time - to join. Well, here I am in my senior year and still haven't joined anything. I have worked hard on my schoolwork and worked my way up in my part-time job, which looks somewhat impressive on my resume.
The moral of the story is you don't have to join anything on campus if nothing is speaking to you. Why would you want to dedicate time in your busy life to doing something that isn't interesting to you? That sounds like it would make your anxiety worse. Don't join something to join. You'll be more than okay. You'll still get a job.
3. Write it down
The most effective way I have maintained some control over my anxiety in college is to write everything down. Don't make the mistake of thinking you don't need to write down important dates, assignments, exams, and information because you'll remember it. Your brain is lying to you. You will forget it. You will never look at those pictures you take of the in-class PowerPoint. Write it down!
I like to write pen to paper because if I do it digitally, I feel like it's not real. This sounds ridiculous, but digital lists are easy for me to type and forget. So, I write things in my planner, including putting daily priorities on a sticky note and placing them inside my laptop. This strategy allows it to always be in front of me reminding me, reducing the chances of missing a deadline.
Use whatever works for you, as long as you're writing it somewhere you check frequently.
4. Learn the best way to self-soothe
When I feel like a panic attack is coming on when I'm at school, I quietly excuse myself and go to the bathroom to catch my breath. I acknowledge I'm not in any physical danger and the feeling will pass. If I'm not in class but on campus, I will typically go home, as I'm privileged to be a local commuter, or sit in my car and do the same thing to calm myself down.
I found this infographic on Pinterest about self-soothing that is extremely helpful if you're not sure where to begin with self-soothing:
Here is another helpful resource for student stress and anxiety.
Do you live with anxiety and are in college currently? What are some of your best coping mechanisms with the overwhelm?