Stress Is Contagious

This week I have my top three tips to avoid catching someone else's stress. Because, a lot of times, it can feel like anxiety and stress loves company.

1. You have your space, I have mine:

Stress can rub off on you if you let it. Just remember that you are only in charge of yourself, and that means you have this great opportunity to take a step back and focus on you. Sometimes you may want to literally take a step back and go to your office, or take a quick break outside to reconnect with yourself.

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Unsurprisingly, college students with anxiety really need help when it comes to time management. Often, they flip from task to task, and quickly become overwhelmed with trying to do everything at the same time. So, below you'll find a few tips. Please reach out with follow up questions.

5 Tips for Time Management (click to read more!)

In part 1, we focus on why it's important to cut down on tech use.

Anxiety often leads to self-medicating behaviors, and one of the biggest behaviors for kids and teens is social media usage.

What happens physically/mentally when you quit social media or go on a tech cleanse?

Going on a cleanse from media it’s pretty stressful. When you’re looking at curbing an addictive behavior, the first few days are the hardest. Then it gets easier, and then it gets harder again when your brain catches up and realizes that this isn’t just a temporary measure.

Because I specialize in anxiety, I know how frequently addictive behaviors can co-occur.

I even have clients on my schedule specifically because of their media addiction, with anxiety as the underlying concern. So, I was so happy to talk with Huffington Post earlier this year on "going dry for a month" regarding tech, social media, and smartphones.

The reason addictive behaviors can occur so frequently is because anxiety is tough to deal with. And an anxious mind feels better when it’s distracting itself with media, sugar, or alcohol. All can be self-medicating behaviors.

During a panic attack, your brain and body respond with a fight/flight/freeze response. 

Typically, you'll notice your heart rate increase, breathing will become more shallow, and your muscles will tense up. You'll experience a strong urge to fight or run away, or you may feel frozen in the situation.

What else could be going on?

Those physical cues of a panic attack could be cause by another medical concern