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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

For my first article, I wanted to write something relatable, helpful, and a little self expressive. Below are steps I follow to ground myself during moments of peak anxiety. My list does not consist of research based findings – it is simply a collection of things I do, listed in order of completion. I hope this article will prove helpful to someone, even if it just shows them they’re not alone!

  1. Get out of your head. 
    • What does this mean? How can this be number one when it doesn’t even make sense? These are very valid questions that I angrily asked myself when I first heard, “get out of your head” from loved ones and my inner voice, but once you understand it and its effects, I think you’ll appreciate leaving your brain behind for a while, like I do.
    • Much of my anxiety comes from the way in which my brain operates. I overthink, put too much pressure on myself, and soon become overwhelmed with a variety of thoughts and feelings. When I feel my mind, body, and soul reaching a breaking point, the first thing I need to do is separate myself from what’s causing the tension. I can’t pull my spinning brain out of my head, but I can work to relax it. To do this, I need to stop thinking. Simply terminating my stressful thoughts at a tipping point isn’t always possible, so I do my best to stop thinking all together. It takes time and practice. I begin by closing my eyes and sitting or laying down. This can be difficult to do. I don’t want to relax – there’s things to do, places to be, circumstances to worry about, and more. Once you get yourself to do this, though, your body will start to relax, and in turn your mind will as well.
  2. Breathe. 
    • I tend to hold my breath when anxious. Breathing, as you know, allows oxygen to spread through your body and to your brain. When I’m overwhelmed and oxygen deprived, my body of course does not like it, and it makes it more difficult to get better. Bring it back to the basics. Sometimes the natural process of breathing doesn’t come so naturally when we become too focused on stressful things. Breathing can ground you, remind you that you’re human, and satisfy your body and mind. 
    • Breath Deeply and Intentionally. There’s a 4:4:4 rule – inhale through your nose, inflating your stomach for four seconds. Then, hold for four seconds. Exhale through your mouth for (you guessed it!) four seconds.  The point is to focus on and slow your breathing. I think both holding breath and hyperventilation are quite common during times of peak anxiety. For me, this breathing exercise tends to be incredibly helpful, but only once a rhythm is established. The pattern may feel a little awkward at first. It’ll begin to feel more natural the more you practice it. If four seconds is too long, it’s okay to make it for three – just try to make it more steady than the way you were breathing. 
  1. Cry. 
    • In my opinion, crying is great. It can be difficult, though, as many of us associate weakness to letting ourselves be responsive and vulnerable to the situations around us. I get it – you want to protect yourself. I know this world is unpredictable and busy, and you need to stay put together with your guard up to ensure your well-being. But to be you – all of the light that you are – you need to take care of yourself, and this includes processing, confronting, and expressing your emotions. If you feel like you need to cry, please let it happen. Don’t hold it in for the purpose of conforming to the flawed idea of strength we’ve been taught. Allowing yourself to be emotionally expressive can not only help you in the moment, but also contribute to your overall well-being in many ways.
  2. Separate or Evaluate. 
    • Depending on where I am at this point after completing the above steps, I choose to either separate myself further from the anxiety, or evaluate the situation. 
    • To separate further, I sometimes take a nap or shift my focus to things that make me happy to give myself a longer mental break. To do this, you’ll need to understand that you deserve a break, which can be a process in itself. Just try your best. To evaluate the situation, I consider what caused this anxiety, how it can be managed, and if what I’ve done so far has been beneficial. I then think about my next step and plan them according to my needs. I may ease myself back into my daily hustle by starting out with lighter tasks, or I may jump right back into the heavier stuff, like studying and school work,  if I feel refreshed enough to do so. Evaluating the whole situation, from the moment I realized I needed to address your emotional and mental state, to the point in which I feel better, brings fourth moments of clarity. 

Take care of you, you mean the world!

Sarah Miller

I’m Sarah Miller, a sophomore at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in Speech and Language Pathology. I’m going on my third semester as a Her Campus member. I joined my fall semester of my freshman year because I was in need of a women’s group and figured what better than one dedicated to connection and unity as much as this one! I’ve enjoyed interacting with women all over this country’s campuses. This magazine has kept me in tune with the interests, dilemmas, and goals of my generation— a sense of connection I’ve loved having and will continue to experience for the remainder of my time at IUP. Writing has long been a passion of mine. I see so much value in written words, especially because I’ve learned from every article I’ve read on this website. I hope that by the time I conclude my time at IUP, I will have contributed to the sense of unity and empowerment fostered through our posts to this magazine. I’m thankful to be part of this experience and look forward to striving for my goal through my publications.