Kneesocks 2018-19

Anxiety, Anxiety, Anxiety By Olivia Kellner 6M

Anxiety, a seven letter word that has troubled 1 in 5 American adults’ lives each year. Have you ever been preparing for a test and you just feel so stressed that you’re going to explode? As once advised, “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” There are 7 different types of anxiety disorders. For instance, fear of being away from home or people you love is called Separation Anxiety. Fear of being judged or humiliated is called Social Anxiety. Even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, you may sometimes find yourself stressed. School, camp, and sports teams tend to spark stress for students and kids. Adults may become stressed from work, home life, and finances. Coping with everyday anxiety can be a struggle, but it’s definitely not impossible! Participating in physical activity, sleep, breathing exercises and saying encouraging words to yourself are strategies that you can practice immediately. They will exceed your expectations! For example, taking a jog is a way to get a normal breathing pace and clear your mind. The feeling of stress gets very overwhelming and it feels so much better to have all of those negative thoughts removed from your system. Even though it can be hard to fall asleep with lots of thoughts spinning through your mind, sleep is extremely important. For instance, if you’re nervous about a test occurring the next day, sleep can be more beneficial than loads of studying. The therapist, Elana Segal, once said, “You can’t let anxiety control you. You are the remote control, not anxiety.” This piece of advice is extremely beneficial. Meditations are easy to find on youtube, to help you calm down. Breathing exercises like “Square breathing” and “Hot Chocolate breathing” (these can be explained on youtube.com) help you feel grateful which contributes to the process of relaxing.

Don’t let anxiety beat you down. You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.

Artwork by Sofia Valentina Pistol 4G

22  HAVERGAL COLLEGE