Hey people! So excited to be here writing my first blog post for Teen Boss Babes! Let's get started! Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders/illnesses; affects millions of people each year, especially teenagers. It's important to understand that even the most successful people can suffer from this. With Covid-19, I have noticed an increase in anxious behavior. Therefore, this serves as a guide to not only those diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder but to those who are experiencing unease due to the climate of things. I am familiar with anxiety disorders, so I'll be equipping you Teen Boss Babes with five coping mechanisms to help you persevere!
Meditation
Meditation is a great way to get out of your head. With anxiety, being drowned in endless thoughts or worries is common. With meditation, you focus on your breathing and your body while becoming comfortable with silence. A great app called Calm (you can get it in the Apple Store) provides guided meditations and teaches you about the benefits of slowed breathing. The key is to practice often, and eventually calming yourself through breathing exercises will become second-nature.
Exercising
When anxiety happens, our bodies tend to respond by tensing up. To relieve your muscles, try going for a run or doing home exercises to get your blood pumping. I like to call it "sweating the anxiety away" because this technique has helped me get out of an anxiety attack effectively. My additional recommendation is getting out into nature for a walk. Nature is calming for the soul. Closely watch the movement of the grass or the trees, and witness how you get pulled into a state of calm. Again, this becomes perfected through practice. Consistency is key.
Escapism
According to what your interests/hobbies are, distracting yourself with something you love doing is recommended by many. I have lots of hobbies, but personally, not all of them were effective in making me feel better while experiencing high levels of anxiety. So experiment! In my experience, music has proven itself to be a powerful tool. What I've done is prepare myself a bath and hopped in with wireless headphones. The experience was relaxing and almost other-wordily. Additionally, watching a favorite show is one of the best temporary aids. Finding a show that especially makes you laugh, lightens your mood. Find any activity that you can enjoy doing and pick the one that calms you the most.
Journaling
Anxiety can occur when you have accumulated stress and neglected to relieve it. When you overthink, your thoughts enter a snowballing effect, which worsens your state. Writing down what you feel in a journal is a therapeutic exercise that allows you to release the mounting thoughts or worries in your head. Pick up a pen and journal whenever you enter an endless cycle of worrying.
Spending time with friends/family
If I didn't have my friends or family supporting me while I healed from my first experience with anxiety, I wouldn't have made such a fast recovery. Friends provided me with emotional support while my family did whatever they could to understand my condition. What helped the most was reaching out to those who also had suffered from anxiety. I was able to get advice and consolidation from my friend, who reminded me that I wasn't alone.
Anxiety can make you feel hopeless. It's been one of the most challenging battles I've faced as a teenager, but to quote one of my favorite shows, ATLA, "If you dedicate yourself to becoming better, you'll recover stronger than ever.”
Yours truly,
Sissy Arenas
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