Anxiety as a concept is talked about a lot today as a concept, I don't class myself as having anxiety. But I have found that in many situations I become very anxious be it rational or irrational it is often in anticipation of things that often actually turn out okay. I am definitely not suggesting I have this under control because I don't if somebody does don't hesitate to tell me how. However, from experiences I have not overcome it but just learnt to cope.
I am an 18 year old student and as such find myself in a lot of social situations. My issue is getting myself to go, I always want to go but that doesn't stop me from thinking every negative thought about what could happen to me if I leave my bedroom. This is including when I go to places that I know with people that I know, I still feel this overwhelming nervousness. What happens if nobody talks to me, what happens if I'm not like them etc etc. Yet, every time bar one I would say I have had a great time and questioned why I say no when I could be having fun. Similarly, the one time I can recall not enjoying myself I simply left, is it not much easier to try and if you don't like it walk away, than have never tried?
Naturally most people become stressed in high pressure situations such as exams. I am told I take this to another level. I am definitely not someone who can just see how it goes, if I haven't spent all of my days revising for an exam the week before it I will be in complete melt down. Even if I know, I know the information if I'm not doing it I'm stressing. This applies particularly for the morning of an exam my dad has told me in the past that Paul McKenna a noted hypnotist did a talk about the routines people have to psych themselves up before an exam, interview, match etc. Sort of like your pre-changing room Al Pacino Any Given Sunday bit. After, hearing this I began to notice this before exams, some people would click their fingers or step away from everyone discussing last minute tips or like me you go in the exam room and perfectly line up your pens, tie your hair up, it's as simple as that a trigger something to get you in the mind frame, which says yes, I can do this.
In these situations I have also found that wearing something that you can physically mess with as a re-assurance or a memory jogger in the case of exams is helpful. For me that's a ring or a necklace, it really is something as small as that, that makes the difference for me. In the past I took herbal tablets, to help me with nerves, placebo or not they worked for me, pre-exam. I am of the opinion that the ritual of taking one and telling myself it worked was the answer, not the actual tablet but even if that is true either way it worked.
The most important thing to remember is that, EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. YOU WILL BE OKAY.
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