How to deal with having anxiety in college

I’ve dealt with anxiety my whole life. Not the “normal” kind that gets you a little bit worried from time to time, but the full-fledged throwing up on the first day of school for eight years in a row kind.

Yeah, I used to throw up every year on the first day of school from first to ninth grade. I guess when high school came I decided it was time to be a big girl and just face life and all of the anxieties that come with school, making new friends, and going out of my comfort zone. I know I sound super lame, but this is stuff people deal with everyday and many in worse forms than what I just described.

As I’ve gone through life I’ve constantly struggled with a feeling of nervousness even when I really have nothing to be nervous about. If a professor mentions something about a quiz that’s due next week, my brain will freak out even if it’s only worth five points. Many times, I’ll get a text from a friend asking me to go out with them and feel a rush come over my body telling me: “Just stay in, Anna. Do you really want to deal with the world?”

This is usually followed by me making up an excuse like “Sorry, I have so much homework to do” or “I’m so exhausted, I probably shouldn’t.” However, I’ll just sit and watch Netflix for a few hours and doodle in my journal or something.

Once I came to college, everything was intensified and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. My college experience didn’t feel like it was as great as everybody else’s because my anxiety was holding me back. Now, in my second year at Ohio State, I find myself finally conquering that anxiety. While it’s definitely still here and able to take over my mind, I’ve come up with ways to forget about it when I need to.

What to do when your friend says “Come out with us, it will be fun!”

There are a few options here. For me, a lot of the time I will be happy just staying in and getting some work done. Maybe even just staying in and drinking some wine with myself. This is completely fine and sometimes will give you time to clear your mind of everything that’s been driving you crazy lately.

However, when you’re new to a school it can be really good to get yourself out there even if your mind is telling you it doesn’t want to. While it may be hard to fight these anxious voices in your head now, it will pay off later. You’ll be able to get out and get closer to people who will be there for you when you need some support later on. New friends are always a plus.

What to do when you feel overwhelmed with schoolwork

Take a deep breath. Deep breaths are the key, actually. While they don’t change anything about the situation they change the way you look at it by clearing your head and reminding yourself no matter how crazy everything seems right now it’s okay to take a breather.

Write down everything you need to do throughout the week, including things that aren’t schoolwork, and figure out a plan to get it all done. The day I got my planner was the day a lot of my unwanted anxiety from procrastination and overwhelming assignments went away.

What to do when you’re anxious about not making enough friends

Take a step back and analyze why you’re in this position rather than beat yourself up about it. Maybe you’re missing out on opportunities to make friends because you don’t feel like going out much. Maybe you’re nervous about talking to people in class so you haven’t really made friends with your common interests. This is when you need to step out of your comfort zone and just talk to people. It might seem scary, but it’s really not. Most people are nice people and if they’re not, at least you took a step in the right direction. Keep going!

What to do when you have no motivation to go outside the four walls of your bedroom

The key is to do what will ultimately make you happy. The happier you are, the less anxious you are. If you genuinely are feeling all of the weight of the world pushing you down and don’t want to leave your room, take advantage of that.

Start working on the homework you need to get done, watch some inspirational videos to get you feeling better, be productive! I know we can’t be productive all the time, I’m sure as hell not. However, for those times you are really stuck I believe this will help immensely.

Keep on pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and the anxiety will slowly but surely diminish. You can do it!