by Mars（付志龙） from Student Development Department

Good morning, everyone. I’m Mars from Student Development Department. My topic today is how to deal with anxiety？

First of all, what I can tell you is that anxiety is very common, much more than people think. Right now, one in 14 people around the world have an anxiety disorder.

To show you the impact that anxiety has on someone’s life, I will just mention that anxiety can lead to depression, school dropout, suicide. It makes it harder to focus, and to hold down a job, and it can also lead to relationship breakdown.

But a lot of people don’t know this. That’s why, a lot of times, people sweep anxiety under the rug as just nerves that you need to get over, as a weakness. But anxiety is so much more than that. A reason why so many people don’t think it’s important is that they don’t know what it is.

Is it your personality? Is it an illness? Is it a normal sensation? What is it?

That’s why it’s important to differentiate what is normal anxiety from what is an anxiety disorder.

Normal anxiety is an emotion that we all get when we’re in stressful situations.

For example, let’s say, you’re out in a forest, and you come face to face with a bear. This will probably make you feel a little bit anxious, and you will probably want to start running like crazy. Now, this anxious felling that you get is good because it protects you, it saves you, although maybe it’s not such a good idea to start running when you see a bear. I don’t really think you can out run a bear.

Anxiety helps us meet our deadlines at work and deal with emergencies in life, but when this anxiety emotion is taken to the extreme, then that’s when you might have an anxiety disorder.

You can cope with anxiety caused by everyday stressors with some simple strategies on your own if you don’t have this mental disorder. However, an anxiety disorder requires treatment from a mental health professional.

Here are some coping strategies for normal anxiety:

1.Think about what you can change and confront anxiety head-on so that your feelings of anxiety reduce rather than grow.

2.Count to 10 slowly. Repeat and count to 20 if necessary.

3.Try to learn more about your fear or anxiety. Keep an anxiety diary or thought record to note when and what happens. You can try setting yourself small, achievable goals for facing your fears. You could carry a list of things that help when you are likely to become frightened or anxious. This can be an effective way of addressing the underlying beliefs that are behind your anxiety.

4.Download one of the many apps that offer relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing or visualization, or guidance on practicing mindfulness, which can help you stay in the present rather than being overly focused on the future.

5.Eat balanced, regular meals. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and try to avoid too much sugar. Resulting dips in your blood sugar can give you anxious feelings.

6.Exercise three to five times a week for 30 minutes to help relieve your anxiety. This can be biking, dancing, or jogging. Exercise requires some concentration, which can take your mind off your fear and anxiety.

7.Avoid drinking too much caffeine such as soft drinks or coffee, as caffeine can increase anxiety levels. Chocolate or energy bars may also contain caffeine, so check the ingredient labels before consuming.

8.Reach out to your friends or family who help you cope in a positive way, and consider a timeout from people who trigger your anxiety.

9.Breathe with intention to help bring yourself back to the present.

last and the most important one is: forgive yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes.

That’s the end of my speech. Thanks for listening!