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From TeenHealthCentre.com Anxiety/OCD As a teenager in the 21st century, you certainly face many different kinds of situations that cause stress and anxiety. Today’s world is much different than the world was for our parents. Some of the things we worry about may include basic safety and security, school, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, the list goes on and on. But there are things that we can do to make the events in our lives more manageable, although managing stress and anxiety can seem like a daunting task to anyone. Some people may feel so overwhelmed by their life situations that they do not know where to start! So, first we are going to start with learning why we feel anxious in the first place; how do our brains “feel” anxious? Now, this next part may seem like pretty technical stuff, but stick with it – when we know why we are feeling a certain way, it is often easier to manage it. So what is anxiety, really? Actually, anxiety is why humans are still around today – it is our brain’s way of telling our body that there is some form of perceived danger near by. It is an evolutionary and biological process that tells us when we can stay where we are and when we need to either protect ourselves or move to a safer place (this is known as the Fight or Flight Response). When our brains tell our bodies that we are in danger, our Sympathetic Nervous System kicks in, which makes us: increase our oxygen intake by breathing faster and more shallowly (like panting); focus our body’s attention on our extremities (i.e., arms and legs) in case we need to fight or get away quickly; and increase our heart rate (increased blood flow). When our brains recognize that we are no longer in danger, it is time for our Parasympathetic Nervous System to go to work. This system does the exact opposite: it brings our biological and physiological systems back to our normal baseline functioning, so our breathing returns to normal, our heart rate begins to slow down, and so on. Sometimes, however, our brain gets stuck in the “Sympathetic mode”. It is like when you have a CD with a scratch in it. As much as the laser should (and tries) to move forward to play the next part of a song, it is stuck in the groove of the scratch and cannot seem to get out. So too do our brains become stuck in the survival mode, and our Parasympathetic Nervous System never receives the okay from our brain to start doing its work: our brain is stuck in the groove of a scratch. When this happens, there are some things that we can do to help nudge our brains back into play mode. Breathing. That’s right! It is something that we all take for granted that we do correctly, but most of us do not know healthy breathing. Here’s a quick lesson in breathing: place your hand on your abdomen; now take a deep breath and imagine filling your stomach like it is a balloon; you should be able to see your hand (which is still on your abdomen) rise. If your chest rises instead, try it again, keeping your focus on making your hand (which is still on your abdomen) rise as you fill your stomach with air. Proper diet and exercise are also necessary to manage stress and anxiety (as well as a healthy lifestyle in general). In general, you should stay away from: caffeine, nicotine and sugar, as all of these contain chemicals and substances that act as a stimulant on our bodies – making our bodies react in a more aroused (or anxious) state. When it comes to exercise, the same old standard applies here: try to get at least 30 minutes a day, everyday, of aerobic exercise. This could be running, biking, swimming, walking, hiking or playing sports. Pick an activity that is fun for you and then, well, have fun doing it! Rest and Relaxation. When it comes to crunch time in school, with exams and assignments due in every class, it can be easy to forget to take time out for ourselves. Try to get a good night’s sleep every night. If you find that you are tired during the day, maybe try going to bed a half hour earlier. This may not seem like a lot of time, but it can make to difference between getting through our day effectively, or just getting by. Time Management. Especially now with school starting back, good time management skills are a great prevention for stress and anxiety. Get yourself a calendar (or make one, so that it is more “you”) and mark in all the important dates, such as tests, exams, assignments and presentations. Other important dates may be: dances, friends’ birthdays, vacations, and so on. Slot in some time for your daily exercise and “you” time. Set aside certain hours each day that you dedicate to studying and doing homework. This way, you know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. Just knowing this, and seeing it on your calendar (that could be hung up over your desk) can go a long way to making all the things you have to do seem more manageable. Social Activities is another area that is important to make time for. One of the biggest buffers against feeling stressed out is having a network of supportive people around us, including family and friends. Make time to see the people that you care about and who care about you. These people may also be able to offer you great advice and help when you are finding a task particularly difficult to carry out. Alone Time. Just as social time is important, so is time out just for you. Listen to your favorite music, or read a book (something other than a textbook!) for at least a couple of hours a week. Sometimes, the best person to be around is simply ourselves! Stay Positive. Remember, anxiety is necessary to life, as anxiety often motivates us to do things such as: breath, eat, drink, sleep, socialize, go to the bathroom, study, etc. Stay positive in your thoughts, as well as your actions. One way to do this is through “self-talk”: when you are in a situation that is anxiety-provoking, tell yourself: “I know I can do this”; “it’s just like the last time I did it, and things turned out great then!”; “I have prepared for this and I am ready, I will do my best”.
If you would like to know more about anxiety, or would like information on the anxiety-management group at the Teen Health Centre, please call: 253-8481. For help with anxiety contact
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