1st day back at school. how to cope day to day?

[soh238]

Hey,

so I know I'm not the only one with anxiety issues, but how do you guys best cope with anxiety around people. I'm doing my best to face whatever, but it leaves me exhausted because at home I'm usually a hermit. Have you guys had this/or have this and found any great ways to overcome it?

[Waiting]

Hi soh238,

I guess for me it depends on what the anxiety is about. I try to tackle mine via cognitive techniques. Basically I figure out what I am anxious about and tackle it with thoughts to counter it. Most of the time anxiety is very irrational. It does take time and effort, but it is easier than just living with it.

[soh238]

Hey thanks! So do these cognitive techniques help you? What are they exactly? I've been trying to start meditating, which for me is just deep breathing with a relaxing soundtrack like the ocean. But what techniques do you use? Is it

"figure out what I am anxious about and tackle it with thoughts to counter it," for the most part? or like a specific one?

[nathan]

Learn to meditate anywhere you are at any moment. If you are in the cafeteria, and you feel anxiety coming, immediately meditate about it. Don't try to ignore it. Even though you still feel the anxiety, it'll calm you a bit. Your finding the part of yoiu that is behind that anxiety you feel. The anxiety thus becomes just another 'thing' in your awareness, just as you are aware off the person standing next to you in line, you are aware of your anxiety.

The trick is not to ignore it, whenever you feel it coming, where ever you are, meditate about it, even try to appreciate the sensations it gives you.

Never ignore or try to suppress it. Appreciate it, laugh at yourself or rather, 'it' when you feel it coming. Make it a habit to smile to yourself when you feel it coming. When you take care of your anxiety like this, it stops it from building up, it doesnt feel like it is getting worse and worse.

But if you start trying supress or ignore or deny its presence, then it will build up. It will get bad. so always be on top of it, be aware of it when it is just a slight feeling, and say to yourself, 'hello anxiety, you can stay if you want, but dont be a pain in the ass'. In a way you are belittling but you are also accepting it. Or you are including it, but you are also transcending it. Of course, acceptance basically implies the transcendance.

It's really amazing the things that COULD happen in those situations where anxiety is high becuase whenever you feel anxiety, there is often a corresponding opportunity for you to do something good, like meet someone of the opposite sex, or w/e.---Hence your anxiety in the first place. So whenever you feel anxiety, theres often a 'good' reason for it, that is, the potential good that can come out of this anxious situation ha--if you can accept and trancsend your anxiety, you can be that good- anxiety is then your que, telling you that something good can happen here- it is actualy your friend, not your enemy.

Or you can take drugs, which will directly reduce your anxiety, but they will never teach you how to deal with anxiety in the first place. And will still have bouts of anxiety when you are on the pills.