Anxiety is a sickness that many people experience in their lives. Unfortunately, not all anxiety is created equal. Sometimes anxiety can be crippling. Walking into a new classroom with people you’ve never met can be the worst part for some, while asking a question can be for others. How do we deal with this?

It’s a sad fact that unlike other illness you might experience during the school year, anxiety has no catch-all cure. As someone who has gone through this, I know that is it’s not easy. Here are some tricks that I used to help myself through the start of my college career.

Step number one might be the easiest, and possibly most important one to do. Get a planner. While it may seem like a no-brainer, a planner can be a life-saver during a stressful week. Taking the time once a week to map out how your next seven days will go may help you breathe a little easier. Write down when you have classes, when assignments for those classes are due, when you plan to do your homework, and also your work schedule. Doing this will allow you to look at when you have time to take breaks and hopefully begin a routine.

The second step is to set daily goals. If that seems too much, then make weekly goals. These can be as simple as “run for an hour,” “don’t eat fast food” or “get through a certain amount of your favorite TV show.”

They can be basically anything you want. Doing this will help you feel slightly more accomplished each week, which will help lessen your anxiety.

The third and final step is to seek help. It may sound cliché, but that’s because it works. If you are truly feeling overwhelmed, then talk to your favorite teacher, a counselor, or even your best friends. Just make sure to let someone know that you need help. Admitting that you need help is the first step. I fall victim to this type of thinking all the time, but it’s not possible to do everything on your own.

Anxiety is no joke, and it’s different for everyone. These steps are not a perfect solution but they are a good place to start.

If you want to know more about the counseling services at Madison College, I encourage you to go to the school’s website and check out the Counseling page under Support Services.