How to Survive College While Struggling With Anxiety

Anxiety affects many people in different ways. Some people are naturally more anxious than others, while others can override their illness and carry on with their lives almost as soon as it starts. Fortunately, there are ways to survive college and avoid developing severe panic. Not all students struggle with the same levels of panic.

Many students do not know what course of study or degree to choose until they have left home. They do not know where they will be living or what kind of career opportunities are available. This is when having an emergency plan for dealing with academic stress becomes necessary. Below is a list of tips to help you survive college and keep your mental illness under control.

1. Try to Keep a Positive Mindset

Although anxiety can cause some people to feel like they have no control over their future.  It is possible to overcome it through motivation, determination, and perseverance. If you believe that there is hope for the future, it will be easier for you to deal with your current problems by writing down your goals or creating an action plan for how you want your life to turn out. This will motivate you to get past whatever obstacle is causing panic in the first place.

2. Find Your Niche

Find something that gets you excited about going to school, and do it well. Select a club or organization that interests you. Get involved in something that can keep your mind on track during exam season. Learn to manage your time and prioritize what is essential in life to enjoy the benefits of college without feeling overwhelmed.

3. Get Help

The best way to survive college is by getting professional help with your illness before it becomes too much to handle alone. Many forms of therapy are available through student health services, including counseling, medication management, and psychotherapy. Consult with a medical professional if you think you might need medication or therapy. Your psychiatrist could potentially prescribe Abilify for anxiety to help.

4. Meditate Daily and Make Sleep a Priority

To decrease stress levels and make room for good feelings when they arise, meditate daily at home or in class if possible, and make sleep a priority by setting the alarm before bedtime each night so that you can wake up without worrying about anything else even for one minute.

This will help you create space for yourself where there was none before so that you can feel good about what’s happening in your life instead of constantly being afraid of it.

5. Be Flexible in Your Course of Study

Choose a course of study that is right for you but also something you are interested in. If you choose something that is not interesting, it will be hard to stay motivated.

Have a backup plan if your first choice is not the best for your future career or lifestyle. You will have a better chance of succeeding if you have options available when your academic life is too stressful.

6. Make Time for Yourself

You need time away from school to recharge your batteries and re-energize yourself before the next day of classes starts up again. Try to make sure that there is some time set aside on the weekend or during vacations for yourself so as not to fall into an academic rut and fall behind in your studies because of it.

This will give you more energy when it comes time to start over again with new work deadlines and assignments for the week ahead and help keep the stress levels down during exam season.

Conclusion

Anxiety in college is something that many people experience, and it can be challenging during exam season. You can do many things to help your anxiety, but some of the most critical steps are getting professional help for your anxiety and making sleep a priority.

Meditating daily and making time for yourself will also help you feel better about yourself so that you can have more confidence in your academic life.