T O P I C R E V I E W
Heather
Member # 3
posted 08-17-2009 10:03 AM
In case it isn't obvious here at the boards sometimes, or in your own life, teens are often prone to anxiety, and the rates of anxiety in teens have been on the rise. As well, anxiety is twice as prevalent for women as for men. This shows up here a lot lately around worries about pregnancy when pregnancy either wasn't even a real risk, or even after regular periods or negative pregnancy tests. We also tend to see it around all kinds of sexual and interpersonal interactions. Here are a few links on how to deal with anxiety yourself: http://helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_self_help.htm http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/anxiety_tips.html?tracking=T_RelatedArticle http://www.womentowomen.com/depressionanxietyandmood/anxiety.aspx As someone who works specifically with teens, I often see a few factors that might be issues for y'all to pay special attention to: Your diets often stink: how are you eating? WHAT are you eating: good, wholesome foods or a lot of sugar and other crap? Are you eating enough? Sleep: are you really getting enough of it? A lot of time indoors rather than outside: are you getting out of doors regularly, even for one walk a day? Exercise: how are you doing with that? Partners and friends amping up the drama of your anxiety. For instance, if you're worried about a pregnancy, are your friends helping distract you from that, or are they talking about it nonstop? If your romantic relationship is making you anxious, are they helping you talk it out, then move on to doing something else, or keeping you stuck in your worries around it? What do all of YOU do for self-help with anxiety?
bluejumprope
Member # 40774
posted 08-17-2009 11:09 AM
Take a time out: When I feel really anxious there's usually something going on where I feel like I have to immediately do something I don't want to do, or give a response right away. But the truth is, I almost always can sit with whatever it is for a while without anything terrible happening. In fact, things typically go a lot more smoothly when I give myself that time. It helps to give others a heads up that that's what I'm doing, so I have one less thing to worry about. Then I can let myself go through all the ups and downs internally, and only respond when I feel more centered. A body worker gave me a little exercise to calm anxiety that I really like: place one hand across your forehead, and hold the back of your skull with your other hand. Hold your head as firmly as feels good and breathe, maybe close your eyes too. It's also nice to do this with your feet actually on the earth--not synthetic carpet, not pavement--that can have an additional grounding effect. Walking: I can't say how much regular walks help me. Ditto for journaling.