Since I learned to walk anxiety has followed me like a shadow. The pitter patter of baby feet could be too loud if I was not careful. I felt terrible when that shaky, wet, feeling of fear and pain twisted my family into promises I had yet to break, failures I had yet to make. I lived in fear of disappointing everyone. With support, understanding, and honesty my family has … [Read more...]
7 Practical Tips to Manage Your Stress and Anxiety
Life gets stressful! Things start to pile up, you get busy, and sometimes it can get difficult to manage everything going on in your life. As a student, it seems like anxiety and stress are things that just come with the territory. Any yes, that may be partly true, but there are ways to manage this stress and anxiety. I’m going to give you some self-care tips that I try to … [Read more...]
The Peace of the Week — 4 Things to Help De-Stress Your Work Week.
So much of our lives revolve around the 7 days we call a week. "The week in review" "The post of the week" "weekly/bi-weekly pay" "Finals week" We cram a lot of tasks into 7 days, and most of those are crammed into the 5 days that we await the weekend. This can put a lot of strain on us as we try to prioritize the things weed need and balance them against … [Read more...]
Self-Care: What I Learned About My Closest Friend’s Routine
Self-care. What is it? Why is it needed? How do I show myself self-care? Merriam-webster.com defines self-care as “love as self.” To get a relatable answer to these questions, I decided to interview my close friend Michelle. Before beginning the interview, I was not sure if she knew what self-care entailed and was intrigued to discover her responses! How would you describe … [Read more...]
3 Ways You Are Stronger Than You Think
Someone today will need to hear this. Is that you? Overcoming challenging emotional feelings and persistent negative thoughts is hard. But it's not impossible. You are capable of empathy and compassion. Your ability to help another human in need despite all that may be happening in your own life is a testament to your ability to relate to and empathize with others. The … [Read more...]
Lost My Mittens and Myself: Growing Apart from Toxic People and Developing My Real Self
When I was younger, one of my best friends buried my favorite pair of mittens deep in the snow on the hill behind my house. She pretended that it was just a joke, but at the end of the day she never told me where she hid them, and despite my begging and frantic digging, I couldn't find them. I suppose now, that the secrecy she held even in that moment, was a fantastic … [Read more...]
GETTING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL – I want you to stay strong.
I am sure I’m not alone in saying this but I had a horrible time in high school. I was bullied, struggled with my own mental health issues and had no friends. High school was a miserable time for me and I’m guessing some of you reading who are in high school, are thinking the same thing. Just like me, I’m also guessing that people keep telling you, “its only high school, you … [Read more...]
Do You Ever Feel Like Running?
There are levels to emotions as we grow up. And as we enter adulthood, the Boulder on our Shoulders just gets larger. As a teenager, I myself, suffered a great deal with social and personal interactions. The majority of the time I was surrounded by people that cared and loved me – yet I always still felt alone. As I got older, now in my 20’s, I look back at these times … [Read more...]
Acceptance
Accepting that you may have or even do have a mental illness is, in my opinion, one of the hardest things about the illness itself. On the outside, I come across as this girl that has everything together. To my friends, I’m this goofy, funny (or at least I think I am), super outgoing, and happy girl. To my parents, I am involved in everything, smart, have a lot of friends, … [Read more...]
Just for Today Poem
Just for Today Just for today I will hold my head high, and forget my problems. I can smile and make everyone else's day better, even if behind that smile I crỵ. Just for today I will walk away from a fight, though I may feel hurt insidẹ. I will ignore what is said, and continue on peacefullỵ Just for today I will set an example, when I feel the need to hurt. I … [Read more...]
From a Senior to a Freshman: Successful Tips to Leading a Healthy College Lifestyle
There isn’t a handbook big enough to tell freshmen how to lead healthy college lifestyles! But I have a few tricks that worked for me when I was a freshman and I think they may help you out too. Don’t be overly concerned with the "Freshman 15" Sure, there is a possibility that you will gain some weight during college, but there isn’t a universal amount of weight that … [Read more...]
Communication Is Key: 3 Important Points About Helping Someone With Anxiety
Sometimes anxiety can make you feel alone even in a crowded room. Even when you have friends and family to support you, you can feel they may not understand how to truly help you. Support can go a long way, but sometimes it can also come with frustration from those around you because they may not understand or know what to do to make things better. As someone with anxiety, … [Read more...]
5 Ways To Survive Anxiety on Your Own Until You Are Able To Seek Therapy
So, you discovered you have anxiety, what is the next step? The usual way of treating anxiety is going to see a therapist. Sometimes however, seeing a therapist takes time, especially when you are struggling with financial or travel obstacles. The good news are that there are five important steps to get you through it anxiety temporarily, until you seek a therapist. Take a … [Read more...]
Rejecting The Need For Control In Anxiety
Perhaps one of the most common feelings that we experience every day is being anxious. In a world that constantly demands productivity regardless of any other current pressing stresses, it is easy to succumb to anxiety. Some of us however, may easily reject this hypothesis and claim that they don’t experience anxiety, but anxiety doesn’t have to exemplify the commonly … [Read more...]
AiT joins Dr. Shari Manning, an Expert in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Teens
Anxiety In Teens joins Dr. Shari Manning, an expert in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and founder of Treatment Implementation Collaborative. Here, she shares more about exactly what DBT is and how dialectic behavioral therapy for teens could be helpful. AIT: What exactly is DBT? How is it different from other therapies such as CBT? What is the goal? SM: DBT … [Read more...]