Anxiety & Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, however, at times it can be overwhelming and can lead to anxiety. Anxiety is characterized by strong personal stress reactions in outwardly less-stressful situations and can relate to many areas of life, including academics. Many students feel the need to perform at high levels, and this can lead to anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and avoidance (procrastination).
Stress and anxiety impact our bodies (such as experiencing difficulty sleeping and pain) and can affect our thoughts and emotions (such as feeling unable to control worries and having difficulty concentrating). Our thinking can bring about stress and anxiety in the first place- this can lead to a difficult cycle to break!
Mindfulness is a practice and mindset which encourage us to pay attention to what is in the present moment without judging what we see, or judging ourselves.This helps us to respond more consciously instead of reacting through habit. We can learn to observe our thoughts without being caught up in them and to be more kind to ourselves in the process. Anyone can learn to practice mindfulness and can experience the benefits that other students have reported: feeling less anxious, fewer headaches, better sleep, feeling less angry and worried, and feeling more alive. Try these resources to discover how to relieve your own anxiety and start feeling better!