Anxiety is a normal response to stress or perceived threats. It’s a feeling of unease, worry, or fear that can depend on intensity and duration. Anxiety is a common thing. Anxiety can impact social interactions, leading to difficulty engaging with others, social withdrawal, or feelings of self-consciousness in social settings.

Many people can struggle with anxiety and not even know. Everyone can be anxious but some more then others.

“Anxiety can be hard especially at our age and sometimes I struggle with it, too, but I have ways to control like my sport, soccer, helps a lot with it,” said sophomore Alessandra Alvarez.

Practice self-care: Take time for activities that you enjoy and that help you relax, such as reading, listening to music, spending time in nature, or taking a warm bath.

Many people get stressed or anxious because they become overwhelmed with school and even the sport that relaxes them can also create anxiety.

Anxiety is different for everyone and people can help themselves in different ways.

“When I was younger, I would get really anxious, but over time it got better because I taught myself specific things that would always help me to calm down. Anxiety is tough on kids especially at our age and it’s not talked about enough,” said junior Javiera Escobar.

Social media can be a great way to express oneself; it can also be a source of connection and support for teenagers, but excessive use of social media platforms has been linked to increased feelings of anxiety in adolescents. Comparing oneself to others, cyberbullying, and the fear of missing out (FOMO) are some of the ways in which social media use can get out of hand at times.

“I love using social media, but at times I feel like it can stress me out because I always feel like someone has something to say. It’s hard for everyone to like you or be nice to you and social media really shows it,” said freshman Camila Andreu.

Just know for now that anxiety can come from many different things and it’s normal to feel anxious.

In the meantime, practice deep breathing techniques to help calm your body and mind. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.