GENERATION Y- “are we so anxious?”

I’m anxious. Don’t touch me.

Avoid eye contact with me , you’re making me nervous .

You know what I HATE? HUMAN INTERACTION. Theres this friend of my moms that bombards me with questions each time we meet. “How’s school” , “Do you have any friends?” , “What results did you get , are you passing”?

No, I don’t have friends , I hate school , my life is horrible . Thanks for reminding me.

It’s 3am , I can’t leave my head . Revisiting every conversation . Adding tones to every text . I think about EVERYTHING. I change and change the tone of your words till they inflict pain and come off as very triggering and insensitive to me.

It’s 5am , time to sleep now . I have a horrible life to live tomorrow.

I keep updating my suicide note , I meet new people everyday, they say worse things everyday . Felicia didn’t smile back at me today. The guys in the back row where giggling , it’s me their laughing at. Right ?

I meet people , I hate it. I smile , my heart sinks. Can the ground open up and swallow me? I’m tired of life .

Ever found yourself amidst other people but completely alone? Fist clenching , heart racing , sweat feeling like it can fill up a whole cup ? How about topping that off with going against your better judgment and attempting human interaction which goes SOUTH?

Social anxiety- Unexplained nervousness in social situations

Everyone feels uncomfortable in social situations but does that impaire your social lifestyle altogether? I was with a friend of mine a few years ago and we were just about to enter McDonald’s when just as I opened the door I noticed she had disappeared. Gone. Into the wind. She saw someone she didn’t want to interact with and she left.

We are taught how to eat , walk , bath and be independent in carrying out our day to day life needs but what about how to handle our own minds ? Millennials are considered to be one of the most anxious generations . Anxiety disorders are characterized by disorganized sleeping patterns, constantly overthinking and worrying, numbness in the hands and feet . Sounds familiar?

Anxiety visits everyone from time to time. Research has it that 50% of mental disorders appear at 14 years of age and 75% by age 24. Who would think a 14year old could ACTUALLY be going through something . Their so young , right?

Amongst the youth, uncertainty of the future is one of the leading causes of stress. One keeps thinking about whether or not their going to make it , how their life will be in a year, two or even ten years from now. Uncertainty is the only thing that’s certain about life .

Social media has also been linked with anxiety amongst our generation as it contributes to lack of sleep . People wake up and the first thing they do is open their phone to check their social media . Social media is triggering , it will give you something to think about even if you don’t want to.

Financial troubles also cause a rise in anxiety levels . Imagine knowing you have bills to pay tomorrow but you don’t have the money . Are you going to be snoring and dreaming at 3am? I don’t think so. Money is not all there is but money is needed in adequate amounts for your peace of mind .

Post traumatic stress disorder is also another cause of anxiety for people who witnessed or been the victim to a tragic or dangerous life event. Uncontrollable thoughts about the event haunt a person over and over again and it keeps flashing back in their mind.

It’s important to check on yourself and what you feed your brain . Overthinking is completely normal but unhealthy. A good sleeping pattern doesn’t sound exciting but it’s necessary. 3am thoughts are real , they exist but you know how to avoid them ? Sleep.

Don’t get me wrong , I’m not saying sleep to avoid your stresses but don’t let your stresses stop you from sleeping. It’s important to keep your mental health in check . Think happy thoughts , find your happy place and lock yourself in it.

Surround yourself with people that gravitate good energy and positivity. Watch what you feed your brain, the stuff you follow on social media , who you interact with. It’s okay to take a break from social media to refresh your mind every once in a while . If need be , seek help if you feel in the slightest way your mental health might be in jeopardy.

If you can relate to this post and also get bouts of anxiety from time to time what’s your coping mechanism? How do you make it go away? Please share in the comment section or for anonymity you can share it with me on my social media here.