Is anybody struggling with anxiety stemming from academics? If so, do you have any tips to alleviate it?

I’ve tried working on study skills and time management, but I still seem to be overwhelmed by schoolwork. I can’t drop any classes, so please give me reasonable suggestions. Do you write in a journal, exercise, dance, eat certain foods, listen to certain types of music, watch certain movies, read certain books, visit certain websites, anything? I’m open to any suggestions because I will be on medication soon and I struggle daily, especially with self-esteem. I feel so uncomfortable and awkward in school, and it’s affected my social life. Thank you to anybody who can give me a heartfelt response.

I know exactly how you feel; I deal with ADHD and it’s extremely hard to focus even on medication; I take honor and AP courses in school so I have to think 10x as hard to pass my tests and when it comes to studying–jeez, it’s so hard but I still do it. When I feel like I am on the edge of a mental breakdown I take a nice, warm, bubble bath. I light scented candles, play some of my favorite music from my favorite composers, or I’ll read a good book–right now, I am reading The Lovely Bones– it takes my mind off of all the things that I have to do. I maybe sit and soak in there for a good 30 minutes. When I get out I lay on my bed and rest my eyes for 15 minutes, try deep breathing. I let my mind rest, I get my thoughts together and it calms me down. Sometimes my boyfriend will have a cold smoothie waiting for me or some frozen fruit in a bowl (I suggest diced peaches, it’s delicious when cold).

Sometimes, I write in a journal and express all my negative thoughts, then I rip out the page and throw it away. I have a stress (actually, I have like a million and one), and I squeeze the hell out of it throughout the day; it actually works. My best suggestion is music; there is music for all occasions, for all moods. Have you ever heard of Yann Tierson? Oh, he’s beautiful. If you’ve ever seen the film “Amelie” you’ll know why. James Horner is amazing as well, of course the classics, Beethoven and Mozart. They were amazing composers. It’s up to you to find something that fits your personality; your lifestyle. But I do believe music is the key along with some fresh fruits(:

Anxiety Therapies Alternative

Indigo Teen Dreams: Guided Relaxation Techniques Designed to Decrease Stress, Anger and Anxiety while Increasing Self-esteem and Self-awareness (Indigo Dreams) $8.94 Indigo Teen Dreams allows teens to manage stress, anger, and anxiety while increasing self-esteem and self-awareness. Teens explore the research-based, stress-management techniques of breathing, visualizations, progressive muscular relaxation, and affirmations or positive statements. This straight forward, easy to follow approach encourages teens to take charge of their own feelings and stress. It…

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, & Distress Tolerance (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) $13.35 A Clear and Effective Approach to Learning DBT Skills. First developed for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, especially for those characterized by overwhelming emotions. Research shows that DBT can improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destru…

How to Become Smarter $0.99 This book describes techniques for improving mental abilities. Some of the things it can help you to achieve include the following: Depending on circumstances, use different lifestyles that improve one or another mental function.Experience euphoria without drugs and come up with new ideas, when needed.Slow down and prevent yourself from making rash, impulsive decisions, when necessary.Sharpen your…

Incredible 5-Point Scale Assisting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Understanding Social Interactions and Controlling Their Emotional Responses $14.16 This must-have resource will teach you how to use a simple 5-point scale to help students understand and control their emotional reactions to everyday events. This book shows how to break down a given behavior and, with the student’s active participation, develop a scale that identifies the problem and suggests alternative, positive behaviors at each level of the scale. Kari Dunn Buron is an autis…