Anxiety and fear can strike us when we face an unfamiliar situation: before an exam, an important meeting or public speaking. Anxiety and fear are natural feelings, and their purpose is to help the body react to danger quickly.
If you are attacked by a dog or narrowly avoid being hit by a car, the body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream, which helps you act in dangerous situations. An important meeting or performance may evoke a similar reaction in the body.
How does anxiety manifest? Anxiety is often accompanied by palpitations, the feeling of suffocation and heaviness in the chest. There may be shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, abdominal cramps, nausea and diarrhoea. An anxious person may start to worry excessively, sense danger and tension without reason and feel restless.
What is fear of school? Fear of school is a type of anxiety disorder accompanied by depression and an excessive fear of difficulties related to going to school.
How can you relieve or cope with anxiety?
- Talk to a friend or loved one. Even if the fears seem minor, talking helps alleviate them.
- Look for the positive in your life. When feeling anxious, you may think that you are not able to do or manage anything. Is everything really so hopeless?
- Take a look at your lifestyle. In order to feel better, you need enough sleep, exercise and varied, healthy food.
- Create order in your life. Constant changes in the rhythm of life may increase stress. You will feel safer and steadier if you plan your activities in advance.
- Learn to relax. Inhale deeply and count to ten slowly – this is a simple exercise that helps you calm down and overcome anxiety.
- Ask for help. If your anxiety gets to the point where it starts to interfere with your day-to-day life and you feel stressed out, go to an adult for advice. You can also see a psychologist or counsellor for expert help.
How do you balance your thinking?
It is perfectly natural to feel unhappy if you are not doing so well at school, had an argument with a friend or if there are problems at home. However, if you focus only on the negative for a long time, it starts to affect your mood, decision-making and, in fact, your entire life. With new techniques and methods, you can learn how to maintain a balance between positive and negative thoughts.
If you are in a crisis, stay calm and think:
- Is the situation really as bad as it seemed at first?
- What is the best and worst that could happen?
- What is most likely to happen?
- Can the situation be looked at from another angle?
- Is there anything good in this situation?
- Will this issue be important in five years?
- What can I do to solve the problem?
Written based on the source of the National Institute for Health Development.
