Feeling Anxious & How to Overcome It


July was the month of "doing things I wouldn't normally do, with people I'm not normally with," which meant that I was out of my comfort zone majority of the time. Which wouldn't be that big of a deal, if I weren't the shy girl for most of my life.

Even though everything I've done to get to this point has been so good, I'd like to take a step back for a moment.

Junior high was one of the biggest changes in my life. It was my goal to just accept what happens and to try to meet people, while really trying to step outside my comfort zone as often as I could.

As happy as I am to say that I've accomplished that and much, much more, and even though I might have had to drag myself out of the house in some cases, I'm pretty damn proud of myself with how things have turned out. I've managed to go to a house party, meet up with a couple of guys to chat (HUGE, for me) and go to a carnival with my friend to meet a couple people as well- hence all of the carnival photos, haha!

But despite all of these good things, I'm still so far from being what I want to be, thanks to anxiety.


I feel like high school will be another one of the biggest changes in my life (followed by college or university, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here) and I'm more anxious about this than I've ever been with anything.

Something about the thought of going to high school has my mind all over the place and my heart in knots.

Whether I'm attending or competing at a game there, all of the sudden it seems like everyone is staring me down, like I get these thoughts that I have to be better; in way, idk. My head gets heavy and a little dizzy sometimes, so I'll have to watch my breathing and count, 1... 2... 1... 2... before I calm down.

But then after 5-10 minutes or when I see someone I know, I instantly relax and go back to my normal self. It's weird.

And the thing that's freaking me out the most is that I've never really had social anxiety like this before! I mean, yes, I still get butterflies and a little shakey when I do public speaking, but to be so afraid of going to a different school... I'm not sure what I'll expect when the first day rolls around.

There are so many people I already know who I know will be there for me, but I think what I'm most worried about is finding out who'll stick with me and who I'll lose to the crowd.

I don't want to have to worry about the smallest thing that could go wrong, or if the school I chose was the "right one" for me afterall. Because there's something in the back of my mind telling me, DON'T WORRY. IT'S JUST HIGH SCHOOL.

Surely I'm just overthinking everything?

What I'm feeling is probably the smallest case of anxiety ever, but to me it's a big deal.

Not too long ago, my girl, Rhianna Olivia (@rhiannaoliviab on Twitter) tweeted this thread about how small things like leaving assignments to the last minute can get to the point where anxiety takes over, leaving you with that feeling where you don't know why you're feeling this way, or how to deal with it.

Because at the moment, I'm feeling exactly the way she felt.

The thread continued like so:

"...Okay. Serious talk. When I wrote this tweet, I was kind of half joking because ~relatable~ BUT it's actually becoming a ligit problem and I keep doing it. I keep watching my to-do list pile up, watching deadline get closer, and I just don't do anything? All I do is get more and more anxious, but still keep putting things off. Then when it gets to the point where I literally can't leave it anymore, I have/come close to an anxiety attack and cram it all into one short time to get it done..."

Personal stories about how you guys work towards overcoming your situation, like her thread of tweets, make me so relieved that people talking about it. Everybody experiences anxiety in different ways, and it's important to acknowledge that not all anxiety is the same.

I asked for advice she would give anyone going through an anxious period in their life, and this is what she told me:

"If you're struggling with any kind of anxiety, it can be more debilitating than anyone could believe. It's hard to give advice for anyone suffering, because everyone is so different and everyone copes in different ways. Medication or therapy might be the answer or just working through it yourself might be the answer. For me, the key moment in my "recovery" was to go speak to a doctor. I was on medication for a year, which was a tool for me to regain control of my health. Since coming off medication a few years ago, I've managed my anxiety by myself through exercise, knowing my triggers and avoiding them, breathing, meditation and lots of other things. I'm only now considering therapy because my mental health has been deteriorating slightly and I can just tell it'll probably help. If in doubt, from experience I've found finding a quiet space, deep breaths and reassuring thoughts can work wondering in less serious situations. You've got to listen to your body/ mind and do what's right for you, but talking to someone will definitely help."

And as someone who lives surrounded by anxiety, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Even if you don't have serious anxiety, I still think it's nice to have a good understanding of what anxiety is and how to handle it when someone you know is feeling anxious. Better Help* recently reached out to me in hopes of promoting anxiety awareness, and to share that they provide online sessions with real therapists with experience in multiple fields.

I can see this website being useful to those of you find it difficult to find time to see a therapist, or if you're worried about meeting up with someone you don't know on a personal level, this could be an option for you.

And if you don't think talking to a specialist is going to do much for you, there's always an Advice Section that you can visit that could be just as much help. Suggested posts: Fixing Constant Panic Attacks / How to Help Someone with Anxiety Attacks

But until the day I find a way to control this newly found anxiety, I'll be out getting food with a couple of friends, laughing and joking around- the way things should be.

Have you ever felt anxious about something you never thought you could be anxious about?

Did you find a way to overcome or cope with your anxiety, or are you still working on it?

I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.


*This post was kindly sponsored by Better Health. Read my full DISCLAIMER for more information.

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