By Joseph Hajjar

It’s no secret that even though high school can be a fun experience for adolescents, it comes with great responsibility. As such, the responsibilities can make students and staff alike feel anxious or worried. Some of the common causes include getting back in the groove, student grades, or even sports. According to Linda Hubbard, a psychotherapist with the Mayo Clinic Health System, anxiety is completely normal. Everyone experiences it at some point; it can be very uncomfortable.

However, there are several ways to deal with anxiety so it doesn’t get the better of you. Some of the methods include meditating, making new routines for yourself, staying connected with people, reaching out, exercising, and gathering information to find out why you’re anxious. Research from Salience Health indicates it’s also important to avoid alcohol, tobacco and substance use. According to interviews conducted in school, most of the students and staff who were interviewed use very similar methods of anxiety control to the methods found in the research.

Junior William Geci has an easy technique. “Just focus on one part, and ignore the rest of it until I need to get to that step so that it’s only a little bit of nerves at a time.”

Geci’s not alone. In fact, Manufacturing teacher Robert Murdy has shared something similar:

“Tackle tasks one by one. So, I write out a list of what I need to get done; and then I like to tackle low hanging fruit which is the easy tasks. And then I cross them out. And then whatever is the most pressing thing after that I figure out a step by step way of completing that task and then I get done.”

Even if these strategies don’t help, you’re not on your own; as the school has a plethora of ways to support students who suffer from anxiety. According to WRHS psychologist Karly Cullen, every student has their own school counselor who can help to teach coping strategies, help them with problem-solving, or give them a calm space to take a break. She also mentioned other methods like talking to a trusted adult for help, or using a break pass to step away and calm themselves.

Remember, according to the Mayo Clinic Health System, anxiety is completely normal and everyone experiences it. If you ever have anxiety, school or otherwise, don’t panic; you’re not alone, and you can get help to deal with it if you need to.