Obsessed with my breathing. Worse!

Acknowledge the anxiety. Tell people. Tell yourself. Tell your friends. Tell your teachers. Tell your parents. The other day my friend walked up to me. I said “how are you?” and they responded “I’m fucking spent. My counselor had me attend one of those mindfulness workshops which always work to make me even more depressed.” We both laughed, and traded details about our struggles. Speaking the truth is cathartic. It connects you to yourself and—if you tell someone—other people. Genuine honesty with others connects you to them. Passion. I create things. I rehearse improvisational theater skills twice a week, I occasionally perform stand-up comedy, I journal, I will sporadically write song lyrics or poetry. Creating things brings me joy. It allows me to explore myself, and if I share it with others, it allows me to connect with them. Exercise. I’ve never felt bad after exercising. It genuinely relaxes me. I feel simultaneously relaxed yet alert. I feel awakened to my surroundings and my own presence within my body. I feel at peace. It’s a wondrous experience. Exercise releases endorphins which help create feelings of positivity. None of these things make the anxiety go away. What they do, however, is allow me to healthily process what I am feeling. They also create a lot of positivity in my life that keeps me going. Life is hard, and it’s important to acknowledge that. It’s also helpful to have a wonderful support system—people you can rely on to help and encourage you. It’s also great to have something you can do alone that brings you joy. Some other helpful things: Therapy. It can help you brainstorm solutions to your problems and allow you to become an active observer of yourself. Meditation. Meditation can be physically relaxing and it encourages you to become an active observer of yourself. It’s been studied somewhat, and it is apparently associated with increases in positive mood. Medicine. Anxiety can be truly debilitating. There is nothing wrong with taking medication to alleviate the anxiety. You’re not a flawed person for having anxiety or taking medication for it. Thanks for the request.

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