By Ilhan Raage
Editor-in-Chief
A mountain of school work. A 12-hour work shift after class. Figuring out how to pay for an apartment. Trying to get enough sleep to accomplish all this and more.
This isn’t anything close to all the stress that a student faces when they’re in college. The truth is that when one has so much else to worry about, their mental health isn’t always their top priority. This often leads to increased anxiety and stress.
In the Managing Anxiety workshop, RCTC counselor Gregg Wright said that it’s not about avoiding anxiety, but learning to deal with that.
When a student has the resources to better evaluate their mental health and understand what they need to do to reduce their anxiety, they will be better equipped to succeed in their college and life careers.
The first tip that the audience brainstormed together was that being mindful and focusing on the present rather than worrying about the future was good for managing anxiety. Second, breathing was also another good healthy habit.
A participant mentioned that knowing one’s triggers was also crucial for having better control over one’s anxiety. Thus, one could be prepared during certain situations. Several other healthy habits that were mentioned were exercising, communicating with trusted persons in one’s life such as family members, friends, and counselors, and getting enough sleep.
To end the presentation, Wright encouraged participants to, look for the good things in life and make an effort to resolve issues.