Uni is stressful at the best of times, but if you’re a student with anxiety it can feel next level. Here’s what mine tends to look like:
5 am
Your first alarm goes off. You don’t need to get up this early (it’s still dark) but you try anyway. You’ll press snooze seven more times before you decide it’s absolutely time to get up.
8.30 am
8 snoozes, 4 cups of coffee and three outfit changes down, and you’re on your way to your lecture. You check the door precisely 12 times before you leave. You’ll be 15 minutes early (just like every other day) but you can never be too careful. But you do have time to go back and check you locked the car. Twice.
10 am
Pretend to be writing something and he won’t ask you a question. Act like you’re writing something and he won’t ask you a question. Pretend to be writing something and he won’t ask you a question. Okay, so you’ve spent the whole lecture averting your eyes from the professor and hoping you’re invisible. Your page margins may or may not be filled with doodles.
12 pm
Absolutely starving. You’ve walked past the salad bar three times now, eyeing up the falafel, but there’s too many people. What if you drop something? Is your card going to get declined? What if you don’t have the right change? You decide to skip lunch. Way too much stress. Are you sure you locked your car?
3 pm
You’ve been in the library for two hours now, and you’ve written three sentences. It’s too noisy and it’s way too hot but your laptop’s broken again so you have no other options. This essay is due next week so you really better get started. What if you fail? Why won’t that dude eating crisps three rows away chew quieter? Crap. What’s your PIN number again?
6 pm
Finally home and at peace? Nope. Text from your friend reminding you about the party tonight. Time to spend the next four hours worrying about who will be there and what you’re going to wear.
10 pm
You feel fat. All the girls with pretty hair and long legs are laughing at you. You can just tell. You’ve had your hand over your drink all night. Can’t be too careful. Did you turn off your straighteners?
10.30 pm
Home again. Feigned illness to leave and check the straighteners were off. Could your friends tell you were lying? Do they hate you now? They’ll probably never ask you out again and you’ll graduate alone and friendless.
4 am
You wake up with a start. Where did you leave your keys?
Joke aside, sometimes life as a student with anxiety can be a real drag. If it’s getting you down, you should talk to a professional or someone you trust – there’s nothing wrong with asking for help! Most importantly, remember most of the things your anxiety tells you aren’t true. Take it from someone who knows.
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