College is stressful. You don’t need to be told that twice.

With essays, exams, quizzes, assignments, group projects, and presentations, everything can easily start to overwhelm you. Unfortunately, some of these overwhelming feels of stress can turn into anxiety. So what can you do before that anxiety turns into a ball of swirling panic inside of you?

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Here are 5 tips that you can use to help you deal with any anxiety you’re facing:

1. Deep Breathing:

This one may seem obvious, but deep breathing really does help if you do it in the right way! Deep abdominal breathing (breathing from your diaphragm/stomach area, not your chest) can slow your heart rate (which can be connected to anxiety), increase oxygen levels in your brain, and calm the fight or flight symptoms that are connected with anxiety. Try breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8. Repeat until you feel calm. gif source

2. Coloring:

Coloring is a great way to relax, especially before bed! If you are having trouble sleeping, put up your electronics and color for a little while instead. Focusing your mind on the one thing in front of you can help you become calmer and reduce any anxiety you may be feeling. gif source

3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique used to relieve stress and anxiety while promoting relaxation. This can be done without on your own without any help and can be a long or as short as you like. Start by tensing one part of your body for a while, tensing as hard as you can. Then let go and relax for a little while. Continue this process by going down throughout the body. For example, maybe start by squeezing and tensing your face muscles. Then move to your neck, then your shoulders, all the way down to your toes. For more information on how to do it, visit this website

4. Talking it out:

Talk therapy is used by many with mental illnesses to cope with whatever they are dealing with in life. Talk therapy has been shown to be effective in treating these illnesses, including anxiety disorders. Talking out your problems, fears, etc. with someone you trust can help you calm down, feel relief and get others opinions on what you can do to better your situation. Talking about issues can also put them into perspective, allowing you to see that maybe things aren’t as bad or as damaging as they seem. The main thing is: DO NOT BOTTLE UP YOUR FEELINGS. This is the worst thing you can do when you have anxiety. Even if you feel like you cannot talk to anyone about how you are feeling, at least write down your thoughts to see them on paper and organize them in your mind. gif source

5. Exercise:

Exercise is not only good for you physically, but it helps the body mentally as well. When you exercise, your brain produces a chemical called endorphins. Endorphins are our bodies natural pain relievers and, when released can make us feel elated. Other chemicals such as serotonin and norphenylephrine are also released and cause us to feel happier and improve our overall feeling of wellbeing. If you can, try exercising for an hour to really reap the benefits of these chemicals.
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