Dealing With Anxiety

By Lev Novak

Chances are you’re anxious about something.

Maybe it’s grades, or a haircut. Or something more intense, like a relationship, or money issues. Maybe it’s something you know is stupid to worry about, but you can’t help obsessing about it- like, if the essay was a ten page minimum, and you turned in nine and a half pages, like, that’s okay, right? Right?

Everyone has their stuff. The trick is learning to deal with it.

1. Remember: You Are Not Alone

First, you’re not alone in being stressed or anxious in general- trust me, you’re not- and two: many, many people are worried about the same stuff you worry about.

Unemployment is a thing. You are not the only person to have student loans. Health scares abound everywhere and the universality of relationship stress is an eye-rolling cliche.

The problem with anxiety is sometimes you can feel uniquely worried, like some special snowflake of panic. You aren’t. They figure stuff out and so will you- just because people don’t talk about stuff doesn’t mean you’re alone in the process.

2. Be Aware Of Your Substances

This is a very simple thing.

I’m not talking about what you do to help yourself calm down- smoking, drinking, or eating aren’t ideal, of course, but do what you have to do- but keep in mind the things that can make you more anxious than you have to be.

Have you been drinking lots of coffee? Maybe that’s making you tightly wound. Same with a new ADD medication (personal experience) or not enough sleep (same.)

Sometimes your anxiety can be free-floating worry that you attach to a small problem, like- this is the worst hair cut! Then you’re so upset about something stupid because of other factors. Don’t be. Try your best to separate free-floating anxiety.

3. Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

I have a friend who got a bad tattoo.

It’s Winnie The Pooh, which she loved as a kid. It helped her through a mildly tough childhood, and she wanted to commemorate it. Unfortunately, the tattoo artist really screwed it up. It look like a splotchy orange mess.

This is a permanent problem. But she’s calm. Because, to her, it isn’t that bad. Maybe she’ll get it removed or retouched, or maybe she won’t. It’ll permanently be something that went wrong, but, to her? It’s okay. Because perfection, of herself or her circumstance, isn’t what she expected or needs. She doesn’t fixate on it. She’s good with it.

Take that lesson and apply it. Don’t fixate on anything wrong- even if it is a fairly “serious” “permanent” problem like that is. Things can be managed- loans can be refinanced, medical issues can be managed, at the very least, and tattoos can be fixed or (mostly) removed.

That’s life. Focus on the good.

4. Have a Calm Routine

Showers are good. The gym is good. Eating is good. Naps are good. Calling a friend or a parent to whine might be good, or it might not be, but you’ll know which way it’s going pretty early on.

Don’t bathe in your worries. Calm them and move on.

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