A Tool to Manage the Anxiety of New Beginnings
- Breanna Chavez
- Aug 18, 2024
- 5 min read
As I sit here exactly one week before my first day of my final semester of college, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a little nervous. Ever since junior high, I've struggled with anxiety surrounding the start of a new school year. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling.
So what can we do with all our worries?
I recently remembered a process created by Dr. Caroline Leaf, which walks us through rewiring our brains. Here is the process and what each of the steps entail in my own words:
First, imagine yourself putting on a suit of armor. This will help calm down your neurochemistry and help you imagine the "darts" aka triggers coming at you. This allows you to more effectively fight them and/or imagine them bouncing off of you.
Then, you can proceed with these five steps:
Reflect- What type of "trauma" response are you exhibiting? There are four main ones- fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
Gather- Get curious about what you are feeling in your mind and body. Are you tense? Is there a recurring thought pattern going on in your brain? When did this issue start? Do you have an idea of why it started?
Write- Physically write down the answers to the questions you asked yourself in your head.
Recheck- Read through what you wrote with wiser eyes. Now that you have separated yourself from the destructive thought pattern, perhaps you can find a solution, find comfort in a way you couldn't before, gain perspective, etc.
Active reach- Form a statement you can come back to throughout the day to ground yourself.
Here are a few links that explain the process in more detail:
Here is an example from my own life. Next Saturday, I will attend my final Terry Scholar orientation. I always get a little bit nervous before Terry events for several reasons. Here is how I can use the aforementioned process to help me walk into the event more confidently.
Reflect- I get the typical nervous feelings. Shallow breathing, increased heart rate, the desire to not go, etc.
Gather- Ever since I was little, I've cared about how others perceive me. I was the typical "little miss perfect", even down to wanting my hair to look perfect. I only see the Terry Scholars twice a year, and I always want to leave a good impression.
Write- I can write these things down in my journal.
Recheck- Looking at what I wrote with a better pair of eyes, I can see that I care about what other people think of me and want them to have a positive perception of me. This isn't a bad thing, but it can get out of hand when I am operating from insecurity and perfectionism. My friends within the Terry Scholarship group love me because of my personality and my heart- not because my hair or makeup is perfect or because my skin is clear.
Active Reach - God made me uniquely, and this is an opportunity for me to share His light with those around me. I don't have to be insecure because the God of the Universe adores me, protects me, is walking with me, and has already gone before me. Plus, He has been faithful so many times before- with Terry events and more.
***
I wrote this blog last week, and I'm glad I did. As luck would have it, I had a breakout on my face and almost let that stop me from attending the orientation. Then, I remembered this process and decided that I was not going to let something so silly rob me of creating memories that will last a lifetime. This Terry Orientation ended up being my favorite out of all four years! Imagine if I had let the fear of not looking perfect stop me from attending.
I find this process really helpful because it can be used for pretty much any situation- eating disorders, anxiety, depression, anger, etc. But, it will take some work. In fact, Dr. Leaf recommends doing this every time for 63 days. I don't know how practical that actually is, but it's better than ruminating on the negative, and maybe you can fit it into your quiet time with the Lord.
God Story - Counselor Edition
Because last semester was very difficult physically, mentally, emotionally, and honestly spiritually, I sought out a counselor. Fortunately, TAMU has free counseling services for students and the Lord was kind enough to lead me to the perfect counselor for me. I vividly remember scrolling through the list of counselors on the A&M mental health portal, unsure how I was going to make my choice. I then came across a woman who earned a degree in biochemistry from Texas A&M. I decided to choose her since she would understand my academic stressors. I did my first meeting with her in the car on top of a parking garage. Let's just say the session ended with me balling my eyes out. I hadn't been home in months, I was feeling the extreme weight of wanting to do well in biochemistry, anatomy, and my nutrition classes, and in the back of my mind, many personal worries were interferring with my ability to enjoy any amount of free time.
Naturally, my twin sister came up during our session. Although I explained to the counselor both the incredible blessings and the unique challenges that come with being a twin, I didn't expect her to understand where I was coming from. The counselor nearly cried with me as she told me that she was also a twin. I consider that moment a huge God-wink. What are the odds that out of all the counselors I could have chosen, the one I chose would be a twin? Not very likely.
Although she has been such a helpful resource for me as I process the many questions and concerns that arise in your early twenties, I can confidently say that the Lord is the ultimate counselor and comforter. I am thankful, however, that He puts people in our paths to make our journeys through life less burdensome.
I hope this was helpful. If you find yourself struggling in whatever season you are walking into, feel free to look through our blog. We have plenty of messages about faith, academics, eating disorders, love, and more. Remember to take the time to take care of yourself! God cares for you, and He wants you to experience this life abundantly.
Love, Breanna Chavez
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