Mental Health Awareness Week and Anxiety
By Ali Roberts
During busy points in our lives, balancing mental health can be a struggle. It seems to be one of the first things to bump down on the priority list. Personally, anxiety is something that I face when I am feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Some activities that help me move through this feeling are going for a walk or cooking a colorful meal. The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Awareness Week (May 15 - 21) is anxiety and ways that we can manage this common emotion in our daily lives.
The Mental Health Foundation offers some tips for dealing with anxiety:
Focus on your breathing
Get moving
Keep a diary
Challenge your thoughts
Get support for money worries
Spend time in nature
Connect with people and talk about how you feel
Try to get some quality sleep or rest
Try to eat a healthy diet
These tips may not work for everyone and they won’t necessarily end anxious feelings, but they might help with the ability to cope with feeling anxious and avoid intense overwhelm.
ASU also provides a resource page for addressing different types of mental health concerns: Mental Health Resources
It can be difficult, but remember to prioritize your mental health, even when it seems like you don’t have the time. If we don’t take care of ourselves every day, we won’t be able to show up meaningfully for ourselves and others in the future.
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