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Funny Owls And Cute Owl Videos Compilation 2016

Honestly, no explanation needed. Have an amazing day!

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Facing Life’s Biggest Bully

One of the things I hate the most about college, and if I’m being honest, about life in general, is depression. It is hands-down the worst thing I’ve ever had to deal with because it has the power to drag me down to such a level where I feel completely worthless and insecure with myself. Even all the greatest powers on earth can’t bring me down the way depression does.  It attacks me on both a physical and an emotional level, stripping me bare of any determination or confidence I have and rendering me completely defenseless to all of life’s lemons. Because of this, I find myself choking on my tears and suffocating from all the stress I’ve been dealing with. A perfect description of depression is “One of Life’s Greatest Bullies.” 

So how do I fight it? How do YOU fight it? Obviously I don’t have all the answers, and even when I’m given them, I’m sometimes too stubborn to use them. Honestly, the best thing to do to pull you out of a funk is to find something that cheers you even a little bit and do it. It may be the smallest of things like making a cup of tea in the morning, or something larger like taking a day off to go explore Mother Nature. 

For me, one of the things that gets me depressed easily is my lack of accomplishment. I’ll start off the day with little to no energy, and by the time I finally feel like getting stuff done, it’s already well past 4:00 in the afternoon. So to pull myself out of feeling worthless and insecure, I’ll do something simple like making my bed (so I’m too lazy in the morning to make it? Fight me...). I can’t tell you how happy it makes me when I walk into my room and see my made bed. 

I guess my point is, find something simple that really makes you smile. Maybe it’s that one song that always makes you dance. Maybe it’s doing a quick sketch in your sketch book. Maybe it’s yoga. Maybe it’s spending half hour editing that new chapter for the fanfiction you’ve been working on. Either way, find something that makes you smile, that makes you realize that there are still good things in life. In other words, do something that makes you happy, and you’ll never have to worry about depression ever again.

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Yoga for Anxiety - 20 Minute Practice - Yoga With Adriene

Whenever I’m feeling anxious or stressed, I’ve found that the best way to channel it all is through exercise or yoga. With that being said, here’s a yoga video I found on Youtube that, at least for me, really helps me center myself and let go of all the built up anxiety I’m feeling. It’s only 20 minutes long, so if you need it, please make the time to do this. I personally promise you that if you do, you’ll at least feel more prepared to deal with life, if not feel 200% more confident in yourself. Again please, take the time to take care of yourself! You’ll be much happier with yourself if you do. 

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An entire sea of water can't sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.

Unknown

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To Stress Or Not To Stress

When trying to solve a problem, the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to first identify the problem. Now you can think, “Yeah, I’ve heard it all before,” but I don’t just mean identifying what you THINK is the problem, dig deeper and search for the REAL problem, the underlying problem that caused all this crap you’re dealing with. 

This same concept ties into identifying your anxiety. Now as far as anxiety issues go, in my research I’ve found that there are two different types of anxiety. There’s that regular anxiety that leaves you occasionally stressed and overwhelmed, and then there’s an actual anxiety disorder called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a disorder that constantly has you on edge and worrying about the smallest and simplest of things for no logical reason, ultimately keeping you from functioning properly. There are a few other disorders that are associated with GAD, but I won’t take the time to go into them. The point is, identifying what kind of anxiety you’re dealing with will at least help you learn to cope properly, if not completely overcome it.

(Image borrowed from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety)

With as crazy and complicated as our lives are, it’s not surprising that many people suffer from GAD today. So then what exactly causes GAD? GAD can be attributed to many causes such as genetics (it’s not uncommon for disorders to be passed down biologically), brain chemistry (abnormal wiring in parts of brain involved in thinking and emotion), environmental variables (certain traumatic events can lead to the development or worsening of GAD symptoms), etc. If you have GAD, please please PLEASE seek professional help, as it is not a disorder that can be managed by some random Tumblr blog done by a stressed-out and very green college freshman.

As for regular good ol’ anxiety, it is often paired with panic (as well as depression, something for a later post) and can make life hell if not relieved in any way. So how do you stop it? Honestly, the best way is to keep it from happening in the first place. 

“Well duh, Pauline, but how do I do THAT? It’s not like I wanted to be depressed and stressed out of my mind.” 

The first step? Breathe. You’d be surprised how much calmer you’ll be if you take the time to step back and take a deep breath. 

Second step? Read this article: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2017/01/calm-under-pressure/ . It basically describes how bomb technicians keep calm under insane amounts of stress and pressure. If these guys can find a way to keep their chill, so can you. 

To summarize, please for the love of free food and cancelled classes, take care of yourself. Bottling all your anxiety away and keeping it hidden is not worth risking your sanity, so make time to breathe and find something to be optimistic about, even if it’s the simplest thing ever. 

Just seriously, don’t bottle it up. If it didn’t work for your favorite fictional character, it definitely won’t work for you. With that in mind, go kick a**! If you want to breathe for once in your life, don’t let anxiety or anything else stop you! You have the ability to make that choice, so make it. Don’t wait for something or someone else to Gibbs-slap you into doing it. (And yes, I know all this self-empowering crap is a little cliche, but it worked didn’t it? Didn’t it give you at least a tiny bit of confidence?)

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My Story

My name is Pauline and I am currently a Freshman in college. This school year has been a whole new experience for me, since I have been faced with many new challenges that I never had to deal with in high school. Between trying to find a job and dealing with all fun stuff that comes with attending college, my life has become much more complicated. However, one thing has not changed since my time in high school: my mental health.

When I was barely finished with 10th grade, I had the brilliant idea to graduate early. While it initially seemed simple enough, I soon found this was not the case. Even after spending the previous summer trying to make up credits, I still found myself with not enough time towards the end of 2nd semester in my senior year (I’m amazing at procrastinating, if you can’t tell).  

I’ll admit that I was never a stranger to anxiety, panic attacks, or depression, but it was in those last couple months that I felt it the most. I was always on edge, during every minute of every hour of every day. It was as if a heavy weight was on my chest; if I stopped breathing for even a moment, it would come crashing down on me. Then there were times that I went through the entire day feeling like I was slowly suffocating. Along with dealing with constant anxiety, I was hit with a panic attack almost every other day that left me shaking and in tears. All of this together weakened my mental health and left me slightly more vulnerable to upcoming challenges.

I will be honest, I know for a fact that I haven’t had it nearly as bad as other people in college, and I don’t want to downplay it and make people think that I have. Since I’m still underage, I am currently living with my parents, which means I don’t have to pay rent or utilities. Also because I am living with my parents, they provide for practically everything I need. They pay for my food, they pay for my phone, they pay for my transportation, and they have also generously paid for my college tuition. In essence, they basically take care of all my financial needs, which is definitely beneficial for me, but I feel as if it might be harder for me to relate with other college students. (Just so y’all don’t think I’m a lazy spoiled brat, I just want to add that I am going to school full-time and working on getting a job, but it has been difficult due to my age.)

With all the time I’ve spent on the internet, I’ve constantly come across the all-too-true stereotype that portrays college students as extremely poor and heavily in debt, a minority who are constantly struggling both financially and academically. With all this in mind, I sometimes feel like I have it too easy, and therefore I have been led to think that all the stress and anxiety I deal with is completely irrelevant because I don’t have to deal with things that so many other do. I guess you could say I’ve developed some type of mild survivor’s guilt.

Now, I’m not telling you all this so I can brag about how good I have it or try to make you pity me. I guess my whole point is, I’m fighting for you. I’m on your side, and I know I don’t have as much experience in some of the things as you might, but I’m here for you. This much I know to be true. So in light of all this, I’m dedicating this blog to you, the anonymous college student that has way too much debt and not enough stress-free moments in your life. I may not be able to solve all your problems, at least definitely not the financial ones, but I do want to provide some sort of outlet, a coping method if you will, so I plan on filling this blog with as much stress-relieving tips and tactics as I can find, along with the occasional inspirational story and funny kitten video.

And if you feel like it, please share your story! I’d be more than willing to listen, although I can’t promise I’ll give great advice. In closing, I want to share one of my favorite quotes, a quote that never fails to lift me up when I’m at my lowest. 

“People cry, not because they are weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long.”                            

--Johnny Depp

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#IDONTMIND telling people I've struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. #IDONTMIND showing people I'm not invincible. #IDONTMIND and neither should you. You are not weak. You are not alone. You deserve to have your voice heard. Therefore, #IDONTMIND if you talk to me. #IDONTMIND if you unload all your stress on me. #IDONTMIND if you need me to stay up all night with you to show you that you are loved and that you matter. Because #IDONTMIND.

@melissabenoist-  I’ve struggled with depression and had anxiety attacks since I was young. #IDONTMIND telling you that. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Let’s support each other in talking about it and wearing the shirt this #mentalillnessawarenessweekwith @idontmind