Students often vocalize the comment, “I’m feeling anxious today”. With mounting pressures to maintain a certain GPA for graduate programs or scholarships, while often balancing work or volunteer experience, it’s no wonder that anxiety is a growing concern on university campuses. It is important, however, to understand that although many students may “feel anxious” throughout their university career, it certainly does not designate them as having an anxiety disorder. In fact, having anxiety is a perfectly normal human condition. When you feel anxious before a midterm or a job interview and you are experiencing physical symptoms such as ‘butterflies in your stomach’ and chest palpitations, your body and brain are motivated to perform at your best. It may be helpful to re-frame those unpleasant symptoms as evidence for your determination to excel.
When anxiety does become a problem, one is plagued with physical symptoms and recurring thoughts of worry when there is no immediate danger. The physical symptoms can be so severe that individuals will choose not to be in public places, in fear that an episode or ‘panic attack’ will occur. Thankfully, there are professionals who are committed to supporting individuals who are suffering from an anxiety disorder. The anxiety B.C. website is a wonderful resource for learning more about anxiety and the various disorders within this, along with helpful strategies to combat the physical discomfort and unrealistic thoughts. They even have an app called ‘MindShift,’ which allows individuals to assess their level of anxiety, make an action plan for specific worries, and engage in ‘mind-chilling’ activities to improve their mental health. Anxiety is an adaptive trait of all humans but it was not designed to stop us from achieving our personal goals and engaging with friends and family. Anxiety BC acknowledges that some are struggling with constant worry, but it should never be in silence.
Resource: http://www.anxietybc.com/resources/anxiety.php
MindShift App.
