Hello all, I was wondering if anybody has any advice for staying calm. Please let me explain. I've been in college for five years now when I was only supposed to attend for four years. I didn't want to attend but my family pretty much demanded that I go. I'm not booksmart and I've been struggling for a while but my family doesn't want to hear anything unless I appear to be happy and succeeding which I am definitely not. I have a 12 page paper due Monday that I'm only just starting and I keep getting overwhelmed with thoughts of work and school and then I kind of spiral down into an extremely pessimistic and unhealthy train of thoughts. If anybody has any advice or tips on how to deal with stress or any tips for overcoming finals anxiety that you would like to share, please let me know. I would be very grateful.

I hope you are hanging in there. Anxiety is truly horrid to deal with. :-(

The safest thing I could suggest that works for me is music, particularly 2 channels that I stream: one is a classical station based in the UK called "Classic FM" (my local classical station plays too much bombastic stuff.. :/) and the other is off radioriel.org, their "Reverie" station. I can link them both through the IceCast listings via my music player.

Also simply going for a walk (or any other light exercise) will increase the endorphins in your brain and improve your mood. :-)

Other than that, I do use some herbal teas and supplements, but anything like that needs to be approached with extreme caution, due to the possibility of allergic reactions and/or bad interactions with any medications you might already be taking.

As far as your schoolwork goes, please don't think that if you don't understand something instantly that you're not smart. I can totally sympathize on this. If something doesn't click right away, review a couple more times to be sure you didn't space out or something, then seek a different approach. There really isn't a one true way to learn. :-)

-Take deep breaths when you're stressing. Alot of us fall in the habit of taking shallow breaths. Something about oxygen to the brain, blah blah blah. -Find a way to meet more older people to hear their stories. You'd be surprised how many people have good jobs that have little or nothing to do with what they studied. Or applied in some odd way. There's a future for you no matter what. -One thing my friends agreed on our last year: Whether your degree was worth it or not, the friends you make and life wisdom you learn can't be found anywhere else. -Your family's approval doesn't decide your worth -If you are eating sugary processed foods, drinking pop in the morning, they may make you hungry during the day, which is very distracting when you're trying to learn. -Research the jobs you will be looking at when you graduate. Don't just google them, check local job postings, see what they expect, ask questions - you might get some helpful answers. Craigslist is a great place honestly.

My own degree was not worth it for about 3 years after I graduated and now it is. For 3 years I worked in restaurants, as a cashier, washing dishes, delivery driving and heavy manual work. But it paid the rent and allowed me to live away from my parents which I needed to do to get control of my own life. Things don't always go as planned, just don't give up.

For me, talking stuff out is a great first step. :) Have you thought about seeing if your school offers counseling services? Like an on-site therapist? When I was in college I saw the school therapist once a week for the better part of a semester.

Some of its coping and some of its mitigating triggers. If not starting a big project early makes you nervous closer to the deadline: start it earlier even if all you do is read the material (you may have to revisit it ofc, but at least you'll have a basic understanding of what's going on...plus I find it really hard to be anxious when I'm reading, it keeps the anxious part of my brain at bay). Deep breaths as suggested are a really great start too, there are also apps if you have a smartphone that will play calming music, meditation guides, or help timing your breathing to maximize results.

So, for me the worst part of school was getting homework done. If I stayed in my dorm room I would usually go nap or something halfway through and then wake up long after dinner in the cafeteria and be hungry and also have stuff to do. Going to the library to study or even just in the common area with a study-buddy was really helpful.

I wish you the best of luck! and don't forget to take care of yourself.

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will definitely be looking into them. And thank you all so much, I really appreciate it <3

lavender oil on the soles of your feet will calm you quick! Magnesium hot tea will also calm anxiety

thank you, I will try this!