Many people think that we just have to deal with a lot of anxiety. That it’s a normal part of life and there’s nothing you can do about it. Well, that’s partially true. Anxiety is normal – we all feel anxious or nervous or scared and sometimes it can even be helpful. It makes us react when we’re in danger, or sometimes it makes us work harder or push ourselves more. But when anxiety gets too strong, it can actually stop us from doing the things we want. It doesn't protect us, it actually can make things worse. To fight back, we have to strengthen our Mind, Body, and Spirit. Here’s how we do it in cognitive-behavioral therapy (or CBT):We know you’ve heard this before, but it really does work! When you feel anxious, your whole body is tense and tight. Your body thinks there’s danger and so all the systems are ready to run! Take a few deep breaths, that will tell your body that there’s no danger. A few deep breaths help you feel more relaxed and then you can go ahead and do what you were about to do. Try to listen to a relaxing song or any kind of music that lets you relax and breath slowly. Paying attention to making all your muscles feel relaxed can really help when you’re feeling anxious.
Your spirit and positive energy can move you to do some of the things that you may have been avoiding because you were worried you couldn't handle it. Well, remember, anxiety is just a bully – and it always lies – tells us that bad things are definitely going to happen. When we don't believe it and do the thing we were worried about doing, we usually find that it wasn't so bad and then feel proud that we did something that was tough. Like we said, start with small, easier goals and then work up to harder ones – you’ll get there.
Need more help? Want to think or talk more about this? That is a great idea! A little bit of practice and help with this can make things a lot easier for a long time! You should talk with a parent or a trusted adult and tell them about the worries or fears that you’ve been having and ask if they might be able to find a therapist or doctor in your area to help decide if you could benefit from treatment.