Anxiety attacks can be extremely debilitating when you’re studying at a university. Under normal circumstances, an anxiety attack is unpleasant but having them at university is a nightmare.
Anxiety attacks are a pain to deal with, and sometimes they can happen at the worst moments, like when you’re studying for a test with friends. This can make it hard to focus on your studies.
While anxiety attacks are challenging, there are ways to manage them. Here’s how you can manage anxiety attacks when attending university.
Identify Triggers | Anxiety Attacks
To manage anxiety attacks, you need to identify what triggers them. Common triggers are stress, lack of sleep, and being too busy with other things in your life. Unfortunately, while attending university, experiencing one, if not all, of these triggers is common.
Once you know what’s triggering you, you have to dig digger and find out why it bothers you. For instance, there’s a lot of stress that can come from getting good grades.
If getting a good grade is causing you stress, which is leading to you having anxiety attacks, you need to figure out why it bothers you so much. Maybe you’re worried getting a bad grade will set you up for failure in life, or maybe you don’t want to disappoint your parents by getting bad grades.
Addressing Triggers
When you’ve identified your triggers and why they bother you, you need to figure out how to address them.
Sticking with the getting good grades example, sure, getting good grades is important, and to be stressed out by wanting to do well is normal. Heck, some stress can help you do better in school. However, if the stress becomes so bad you start getting anxiety attacks, you need to figure out how to reduce or eliminate that feeling.
Maybe it’s accepting the fact it’s okay to get a bad grade, and it won’t be the end of the world. It could be learning to accept your limits and knowing that you can do better next time if you do fail.
Create a Plan
While you learn to address your triggers, you’ll still need to create a plan to manage any anxiety attacks you’ll still experience. This includes ways to deal with anxiety attacks and talk yourself out of them when they happen.
One way to deal with an anxiety attack is to know all the symptoms. Some common symptoms include a racing heart, feeling lightheaded, dizzy, and being short of breath.
If you know the symptoms, you can start to address them when they happen. Maybe you need to stop studying and take a break, go for a walk or drink some water.
Getting Additional Help
If you find you’re struggling to manage your anxiety attacks and they’re overwhelming you, it might be time to seek additional help. This could involve seeing a therapist or counsellor who can help you deal with the root of your anxiety.
If you’re not ready to talk to a therapist or counsellor, you might want to consider talking with a trusted friend or family member you can vent with. Talking through your feelings and what you’re experiencing can help you gain a new perspective and better address your issues.
There is no shame in seeking out help when you need it, and not doing so can lead to more problems.
University is tough, and when you’re experiencing anxiety attacks, it can be even harder. The good news is that there are ways to manage them, so they don’t take over your life.
Identify your triggers, address them and create a plan to help you when an attack does happen. If you find that you need additional help, don’t be afraid to seek it out. Managing anxiety attacks at university can seem daunting, but it’s not impossible. With a bit of effort, you can learn to deal with your triggers and manage any attacks that do occur.
