|
By Shradha “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win.”
- Shakespeare (Measure for Measure) Your brain is not a quiet place. It’s loud, messy, and full of notifications you never asked for. One second, it’s encouraging you with “You got this!” and the next, it’s bombarding you with “Everyone’s judging you” in all caps. Basically, your mind is less like a calm Zen garden and more like the most chaotic group chat of your life. Imagine your brain as the most chaotic group chat you’ve ever joined. You didn’t want to be a part of it, you can’t leave, and the notifications keep coming. In this mental group chat, each thought plays the role of a “person.” Some are helpful, while others are annoying, and some send you silly messages at 3 a.m. when you’re trying to sleep. Just like in a real chat, how you deal with these voices determines if you feel relaxed or totally overwhelmed. Here’s the key: your thoughts aren’t you. They’re just loud roommates in your mental group chat. Once you understand that you’re the one in charge of this chat, you can begin muting, blocking, and focusing on what really matters. Let’s break it down. The Members of Your Brain Chat Inside the group chat of your brain, a chaotic mix of voices competes for attention. Anxiety fills the thread with worst-case scenarios, while self-doubt quietly questions every move. Overthinking replays old messages, dissecting every word, and perfectionism won’t allow anything to be posted without endless edits. But not all voices are draining. Joy unexpectedly jumps in with bursts of laughter and lightness, reminding you to breathe. Motivation sends voice notes full of energy, pushing you to keep going, even when the chat feels overwhelmingly loud. In this inner conversation, learning who to mute and who to amplify can change your mental space.
“What if everyone secretly hates you?” “What if aliens invade in the middle of math class?”
Sound familiar? How to Be the Admin of Your Mental Chat Here’s the good news: you’re not just another member of the group. You’re in charge. You can decide what stays, what gets muted, and what gets kicked out. 1. Mute Notifications (don’t engage with every thought). Not every thought deserves your focus. Just because Anxiety shouts “WHAT IF” in all caps doesn’t mean you have to respond. Try mentally muting that notification. Acknowledge it, then let it go. 2. Block Toxic Users (set boundaries). Some thoughts or people can be harmful. If Self-Doubt keeps putting you down, block it. Replace that voice with a message like: “I’m learning. Making mistakes is part of the process.” 3. Pin the Good Stuff. Think about those moments that make you feel good. When a friend boosts your confidence, when you laugh until your stomach hurts, or when you complete something you thought was impossible? Pin those. Take screenshots or write them down. Later, when things get messy, you can look back at the reminders that life isn’t always bad. 4. Leave on Read. Sometimes Overthinking will flood your phone with messages. You don’t have to respond. Just leave it unread. Go outside, drink water, and connect with nature. Your silence is a powerful choice.
0 Comments
By Kenzie The unknown is one of the scariest things in the world to me. I hate not knowing what's going to happen and so that's why new things are so scary to me. If I've never done something before, it makes me anxious because I have no idea what to expect. I don't know how I'm going to feel, I don't know if I'm going to enjoy it, I don't know if the people I meet along the way will be nice or not - it's all unknown.
Recently, I have been trying to overcome my fear of the unknown by trying new things. One of the new things I tried was a boudoir photoshoot I'm very much a behind-the-camera person, and I'm definitely not your 'if you've got it, flaunt it' kind of girl. I'm happiest when I'm the one taking the photos wearing leggings and a t-shirt. Boudoir fashion could not be more different. It is all about flaunting your body and wearing skimpy sexy lingerie with high heels and suspenders. But it was something that I had never had the opportunity to do before, so I gave it a go. I arrived at the studio with my mum in tow (designated driver and my photoshoot partner) and I was very nervous. I made my mum go first so I had more of an idea of what to expect but I was still super nervous when it came to my turn. The studio manager put some of my favourite music on to make me feel a bit more relaxed so with Panic! At The Disco and Brendon Urie crooning in the background, I’d exhausted all my methods of procrastination and it was finally time to strip down. My first outfit was a green sheer babydoll dress with some extremely high, very sparkly, slightly too big heels. I looked like Bambi learning to walk for the first time in those heels, which didn’t help my nerves at all. The first few photos were taken in front of a ring light whilst I was sitting on a circular veranda and I felt very awkward and exposed. You could see the stretch marks on my thighs, the acne scars on my cheeks, the wobbly bits on my arms and my breasts felt very droopy, thanks to the lack of support in this lingerie. But as time went on, I got more comfortable and less conscious. By the end, I felt like a goddess and the photos 100% reflect how I felt. I think it's always a good thing to try something that you've never done before. I know it's difficult and scary, but I'm so glad that I did the photoshoot and would do it again in a heartbeat. In the meantime, here are some tips for dealing with the fear of the unknown and how to get past the anxiety of trying something new.
2. Remember that no one is paying attention to you or judging you There is something which can be known as the spotlight effect. This is the idea that everyone is watching you and focusing on you and what you're doing. They are judging you, they are laughing at you. But the truth is most people aren’t looking for people to laugh at and evaluate. You have to remember that the people around you are so much in their own head, thinking that you are watching them and judging them, that they don't care about watching you. In order to be truly humiliated or criticised by other people, those other people have to actually be watching you - and they very rarely are. 3. Start small Your new thing doesn't have to be massive you. I'm not telling you to go and climb Mount Everest or jump out of a plane - unless that's what you want to do, or course. Even if it's something as small as wearing some clothes you wouldn't usually wear or cutting your hair shorter than you're used to. Starting small doesn't make your effort any less valid or any less important or impressive. Even a small change can make a big difference. Celebrate doing anything new, no matter what it is. 4. Rationalise your anxiety Anxiety is the feeling that your brain gets when it perceives something as a threat to you. It comes from when we were cavemen and it is designed to keep us safe. However, sometimes our anxiety can go into overdrive when really there isn't anything to fear. So sometimes it helps if you talk to your anxiety as though it's a real person and you rationalise with it. Tell your anxiety that there is nothing to fear, that you aren't in any danger, that you are safe. Ask yourself: are your anxious thoughts trustworthy? Are they helpful? Does the evidence support the anxiety? If the answer to these is no, it can really help to calm you down and encourage you to give it a go. 5. You only live once This is such a cliché thing to say but I don't mean it in the context that it usually used in e.g. doing something dangerous because 'you only live once.' What I mean is that most things are worth trying once. If you don't like it, then that's okay, you don't have to do it ever again. At least by trying it, you can say you've tried it and no one can ask anything more of you. Give it a chance because you only have one life and once chance to try something you've never tried before. So I encourage you. Give something new a go. You never know, you could find your new favourite hobby. By Camille It happened. Again. It does not matter how I am feeling or what I was doing, it never fails to make its presence known. I can feel it rumbling in my chest, slowly creeping in my bones, begging to be let out. I feel helpless in these moments, and I hate every second of it. Anxiety has always had a place in my life. Unfortunately, it has become a bigger problem as I grow older, becoming a thorn in my side. Nowadays it feels as though I am in a constant state of anxiety, with the occasional flare-ups. Compared to how I feel during a flare-up, I do not necessarily mind being in a constant state of anxiety. But, that does not mean I don’t yearn for the years when my only anxiety came from having to speak in front of the class. My constant state of anxiety derives from my constant worrying about my future. I know what I want to do, but I am worried that I might not achieve that, and while I have a backup plan, it doesn’t sound as enticing as my initial plans. While my continuous anxiousness isn’t too bothersome, it is the sudden intensity of anxiety at times that is causing me to write this article. I have never experienced flare-ups before so when I faced my first one, I did not know how to react. The flare-ups I had were extreme anxiety that was very stubborn and did not want to leave my system. A flare-up is defined as a sudden outburst of something. One moment I am content, then I experience a flare-up that causes my anxiety levels to spike. In fact, I never even realized it was a flare-up until I continued to have them and realized I had the same symptoms. The symptoms I had during these episodes include:
The hardest part about dealing with these episodes is the sole fact that I am doing it alone. I was never one to voice my thoughts aloud, the only way I speak my feelings is through writing articles, hoping to find some sort of solace from those that read them. On the other hand, since America does not offer free healthcare to all, I cannot receive any medication or medical attention without having to spend money I don’t even have. My solutions to these problems come from reading articles from other people experiencing the same thing, research, and trial and error. My main word of advice is if you can get help, please do so; whether that be in the form of professional counselling and/or medication. If you find yourself unable to do so, then you can refer to my list below on ways I found useful in being able to soothe my flare-ups of anxiety, or other ways I found via research.
Anxiety is no fun. In this day and age, it is, unfortunately, becoming more common. When it comes to flare-ups, it is easy to feel helpless, but that isn’t the case. These episodes may make you feel as though you cannot overcome them, but you can combat these overwhelming feelings. You will reach a point in which you no longer have to fight anxiety. The sun will come out, the grass will grow, the birds will start chirping, and everything will fall into place. Just hold on, my friend. If you or anyone you know is facing anxiety or feelings of depression, please get help.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline - This link will take you to a page of various helplines, and a FAQ page for any questions you may have. Remedy Live - For those who do not wish to speak, Remedy Live includes a 24/7 chat service. Mind - This website includes links useful for those who face mental health issues. This is for those based in the UK. By Divaani I like listening to silence. It gives me time to wonder what could be. It allows me to unravel my thoughts and process them one after another. But often, I’m left with a turmoil of thoughts tangled in my mind creating a hurdle when I search for the right words to say; and I start to feel uneasy. It’s almost like something is pressing on my heart and it’s only getting louder and louder but in reality, there’s nothing accompanying me but silence.
Some have a name for people like us: introverts- labelled as individuals predominantly concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with things going on around them. On the contrary, I think we’re misunderstood. The reason for our silence isn’t narcissism as subtly implied, but fear. This is usually the fear of not saying the right thing or just saying anything at all. I’d wait and wait for the right time to speak until I find that the moment’s gone; leaving me to listen and to observe. It soothes me. I’m always looking outside my window and just watching attentively. Sometimes, I’d see the figure of a mother holding the hand of her little one tightly; every so often ensuring that his scarf is wrapped around securely, keeping him warm. Other times, there’d be nothing but untrodden snow. I was just about to enter the hall occupied with strangers; all I knew was that they were interested in taking the same course as me and that they were clustered in the same age group. The room was filled with noises of excitement and teenagers chatting away amongst themselves. I envied them. They made it look so easy. I looked around me to see a clear division of newly formed groups. I spotted someone next to me and a mass of disorganised thoughts started to creep into my mind. Should I initiate a conversation? If I do, what do I say? What should I say to make myself seem interesting? Would they even want to talk to me? I could feel the heat rushing to my face as I cleared my throat to speak. But they turned around and smiled at me. More often than not, the world is a nice place. We’re reminded time and time again that everyone has concerns and fears. It’s okay to have these irrational thoughts. It’s okay that there are times you want to scream and there are times you want to hide. It is completely natural to feel this way but the only thing you need to acknowledge is that you don’t have to do it alone. There are so many people surrounding you who will only ever love you more if you ever decide to open up to them. We need human interaction; the sounds of laughing, teasing, reminiscing; the sounds of people to keep us going. We need each other to let ourselves be comforted. When you hear the word addiction, your mind automatically goes to drugs or alcohol. These things are considered bad for you when consumed in abundance. However, addiction can be of other kinds too. Addiction to gambling, shopping, and binge eating are just to name a few. Today, I’m going to shed some light on the addiction to cleaning or making sure your environment is perfect at all times. Now, the addiction to cleaning is not necessarily OCD but can be a symptom of it. If you think you might suffer from it, it is best to go and get a diagnosis from a professional doctor. Cleaning is almost always considered to be a positive thing. Cleanliness helps with focus; it reduces environmental health problems and might even help you sleep better. However, sometimes the obsession with cleaning might lead you to a point where you’re not able to sleep if your shoes are not in the cupboard or you can’t focus on your studies because the books are not in order. Some reasons why people may tend to clean up a lot can include the need to feel that they’re in control or the need to see everything around them in symmetry. Most of these habits do not raise any mental health flags as personalities vary and some just like having everything clean. However, if it is hindering your daily life, it would be wise to check with a doctor. It’s a good time to see a doctor when you’re spending hours cleaning one spot over and over or you wake up in the middle of the night just to clean the kitchen shelves and do not understand the motive behind your actions. As a person, I love having everything around me spick and span. I cannot start studying/working unless I have made my bed. I cannot sleep unless all my clothes are neatly folded in the closet and my books are in their designated spots. However, on some days, I let it go. Sometimes I’m not in the mood to clean up or I just have more urgent things to do. I understand my motive behind cleaning everything. In the morning, it is to be 100% focused on my tasks and at night it’s to make sure something does not poke my eye out as I sleep. Just like personality, people have different aesthetics too. For example, some people love having their work desk overflowing with plants and pictures while others go for a minimalistic look. I personally love the idea of having two books and a clean desk to start with every day. In conclusion, the need for a clean environment is good when it's just that. However, when it’s paired with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, it might not be just wanting a clean environment anymore. If you suffer from addiction or want to talk to someone about it, contact your local addiction helpline or contact this UK-based web chat for support. Always remember, that it is never too late to ask for support. https://www.addaction.org.uk/webchat Stay safe and stay happy <3 Aiza x AizaWhat is a mental breakdown? Well, according to WebMD, “a mental breakdown ( or a nervous breakdown) is a term that describes a period of extreme mental or emotional stress.” During these, the stress is overwhelming to the point that a person cannot perform normal day-to-day activities. Although “mental breakdown” is no longer considered a medical term, it is still used to describe intense stress and/or the inability to cope with a life change. Despite “mental breakdown” no longer being used as a term in the medical community, it has been used to describe a large scale of symptoms. These include:
People experiencing a nervous breakdown may also withdraw from family, friends, and/or co-workers. Signs of such withdrawal include:
To cope with a mental breakdown, you can try the following:
To get in contact with your local helplines then visit: https://checkpointorg.com/global/ -Indie Sahota Indie |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people.
Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline. |