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“If you are afraid, then you will always settle, underestimate your potential, and avoid all that’s challenging.”— SJSU Student
What does fear mean to you? Fear is healthy and vital for our survival, but, as students, it also feels inescapable at times and often weighs us down. There is always something invoking an uneasiness within our minds, whether it be a perceived threat, concerning feeling, or negative belief regarding our academics or futures as professionals in our areas of study, for example. Fear shows up and prevails in many ways and can make us feel stuck or stagnant. However, it is essential to remember that we have the power to change how our fear(s) affect us. But that depends on our mindset and taking advantage of resources available to help us! As the Peer Health Education Stress Reduction and Self-Care Team, we are here to promote ways to fight fear.
Being a student, what are some fears or limitations you have experienced?
“Fear of rejection and failures, fear of not becoming the person that I want to be.”
— SJSU Student
Anxiety has become the number one mental health concern for college students. This statistic is not surprising as immense pressures on many levels come with higher education, which the COVID-19 pandemic has uniquely intensified. It causes fear and vice versa. While fear offers an evolutionary advantage, anxiety brings about the opposite as it is mostly unhealthy. With anxiety, threats or dangers get detected that do not exist, which produces unwarranted or excessive stress. Anxiety often causes one to feel nervous or apprehensive, put off specific tasks, and mentally replay events. It physically affects the body by increasing the heart rate, upsetting the stomach, bringing headaches, depression, withdrawal, and more. Additionally, it can manifest into an anxiety-induced disorder if it intensifies, interfering with performance and life satisfaction.
How have you coped with fear(s) and the overall stress that follows?
“I have coped with these by practicing a lot of positive self-talk, giving myself credit for how far I’ve come, acknowledging that everyone’s journey is different, and ultimately believing it.”
— SJSU Student
College students have also grown to recognize imposter syndrome. It has become accepted as a common excuse for many reasons why they are not “good enough.” For example, an influx of negative thoughts running wild in the mind when the lecture just isn’t making sense, but you will be quizzed on the material later that week. By definition, imposter syndrome is a “collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success,” according to Harvard Business Review. Many first-generation college students, in particular, put themselves under this label unconsciously when comparing themselves to their peers, whether in class, on social media, online, or even in casual conversation. Why are we so quick to self-sabotage before considering the options we have to reduce the weight that this added stress causes? We should embrace our accomplishments and success. We should embrace the praise we receive and let it soak in. Try writing down three things you are good at and place them where they will be visible to you. After you have established that positive self-reinforcement, try to seek out help if needed. College students face many struggles daily, but there are resources not always taken advantage of by them. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness.
What are some ways you’ve used or hope to use campus resources to seek support?
“I have not utilized any campus resources, but I’ve looked into scheduling an appointment with CAPS.”
— SJSU Student
Asking for help can be one of the most beneficial yet challenging things to do. Founder of Bouchard Executive Coaching, M. Nora Klaver, has concluded that “asking for help often makes people feel uneasy because it requires surrendering control to someone else.” If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us, asking for help is a sign of strength. As social creatures, humans thrive when there is a strong support system to guide them through the ups and downs of life.
How do you generally feel about asking for help when you need it?
“I am not usually one to reach out for help. I feel like it gives into my mentality that if I ask for help, it proves I’m not smart enough or good enough. I’ve slowly realized that it’s okay to not have it all together and that I’m not alone.”
— SJSU Student
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is an excellent resource for individuals seeking such support. CAPS provides a range of services such as personal counseling, educational counseling, and life skills workshops. Dr. Ellen J. Lin is a psychologist with the department who has been working with college students since her time in grad school. She has recently been facilitating a workshop series titled “Tapping Away Fear and Worries.” With the three workshops provided in total, students learn mind-body techniques, like acupressure tapping, that will help them reduce fear and worrying and “feel lighter while moving toward [their] goals.” Team Stress Reduction and Self-Care had the pleasure of interviewing her to learn more about her work and ways to fight fear.
“I try to offer what I see are the needs, but also change it up for myself so that I’m not covering the same things each semester. With the pandemic virus and fears of infection and possible death, as well as ongoing racisms and other oppressions that also could lead to death, plus us incessantly watching the constant negative news when we’re stuck at home, it makes sense that everyone’s anxiety, worries, and fears are heightened.”
— Dr. Ellen J. Lin
According to Dr. Lin, fear is on a similar spectrum to anxiety. Both are “helpful to some extent as they can help motivate us to develop future plans for success and safety.” However, when these emotions are non-stop, they tax our body, and depression can set in. Warning signs include trouble concentrating on tasks, inability to fall/stay asleep, or feeling overwhelmed and irritated. Anxiety has been the most common mental health concern seen at CAPS and has increased exponentially among many students during this pandemic. Due to COVID-19, students may be fearful for themselves and high-risk family members. Also, “Black students, immigrants, and Asian-Americans (to name just a few) …have [had] appropriate heightened vigilance and anxiety to keep safe or even alive” due to racism and high COVID-19 related statistics that have affected their communities. Fear and anxiety have also been prevalent among current students preparing to graduate who may have concerns about the “economic downturn” and potential job prospects during the pandemic.
“Some anxiety, worries, and fears make a lot of sense and are very helpful to prompt us to plan and stay safe. However, if we’re not able to turn these off, these emotions and thoughts start to interfere with daily functioning.”
— Dr. Ellen J. Lin
When we asked Dr. Lin about her top solutions for students combating fear, she said, “there are no easy answers because each person and their circumstances are so different.” Here are a few possibilities she shared (each is not limited to only helping students):
Tip #1: Take a break from the news and social media.
“If possible, from a privileged standpoint, I recommend not watching the news every day and getting off of social media for at least a week if not longer,” stated Dr. Lin. The news, along with social media, often contains constant negativity or can bring about it. Both outlets tend to provoke negativity as well. She says that students wanting to keep up with the news should only read headlines or allow themselves only an hour to be updated.
Tip #2: Relax your body.
Dr. Lin asserts that not only do our minds need time to rest, but our bodies also do too. However, rest does not always refer to some kind of powering down or sleep but can refer to relaxation instead. With all the stress that the pandemic has caused society, she encourages students to prioritize and practice stress-reduction and self-care practices such as quiet time, slow and deep breathing, time immersed in nature, yin or another form of restorative yoga, and reiki, for example. Such activities can help the body heal.
“As humans, our bodies are made to feel stress so that we can respond to potential danger. However, when the potential danger is in the news and not necessarily in front of you, our body will still feel the danger and thus get stressed.” It’s essential to address that bodily reaction and be intentional in retraining our body to relax. With all the stress that comes with being a college student, our body is generally primed for its response and not very good at relaxing and slowing down.
Tip #3: Practice mindfulness.
Dr. Lin encourages all students to practice showing awareness of their fear and anxiety-based thought processes and replacing them. She suggests starting a gratitude exercise to retrain the mind to focus on appreciation and positivity.
“F–E–A–R: has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.” – Zig Ziglar
What does this quote mean to you?
“We do not have control over what happens to us, but we have control over how we choose to react/respond to our happenings.”
— SJSU Student
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