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What Are Anxiety-Inducing Events?

What do I mean by anxiety-inducing events? Simple!

You know that feeling when you think about something coming up that you dread? Your stomach bunches up, you start stress sweating, you can’t sleep the closer you get to it, and your head gets a bit hazy? Yeah, you know the one.

Presentations. Interviews. First dates. Going back to school. Parent-teacher meetings. Exams. Moving houses. Anything that makes you anxious by even thinking about it!

This is really perfectly timed for me as I write this a week before school, a new job, and a new placement all start. So you best bet I’m MORTIFIED.

Regardless of whether you actually have an anxiety disorder that’s causing anxiety or it’s just an anxiety-provoking situation, this is my guide for surviving an anxiety-inducing event.

I’m basing this off what I was taught in therapy for my anxiety disorders, in school (Social Work and Psychology), and what I have found works best over years of trial and error.

I hope these little tricks help you too, so let’s get right into it!

THE BEST Tips for Surviving an Anxiety-Inducing Event:

1. Be Well Prepared For The Event

And I mean REALLY well prepared. These are my biggest pointers:

• Have all your stuff ready to go the night before.

This includes: what clothes you’re going to wear, a meal if you’re going to be there a long time, any money or transport fairs you might need, and a bag with everything you need in it.

And this is going to help in 2 ways: morning anxiety and not being late.

By having everything ready in advance, your morning routine will be seamless.

This helps you to not feel even more stressed out as you’re getting ready because no outfit looks good or you just realized you don’t have enough money for the bus. All these things that induce anxiety and are not fun when you’re already super stressed out.

This also ensures that everything you need is prepped so you won’t forget anything. Ever left the house and didn’t have your phone on you? Ever needed your medication but left it at home because you were rushing? I bet it gave you a lot of anxiety.

So by having everything ready, you’re avoiding all these additional triggers for anxiety.

On top of that, it’ll help you to not run late which to me is a whole anxiety-inducing event of its own. I imagine it’s incredibly stressful for all of you too.

So have everything ready in advance and you’ll have to only stress about your anxiety-inducing event as you get ready for it. 

• Make sure you have distractions ready to use whenever needed.

This can mean having a book in your bag to read on the bus, having a well put together music playlist to blast in the car, or even wearing some jewelry to fidget with.

If you’re distracted, you won’t notice your anxiety as much. So try to think about what you can bring that’ll be a good distraction for you and use it when you’re feeling stressed (If you can, of course. Don’t be whipping out a book during your job interview).

• Let people involved know in advance that you’re anxious

This can be friends that will also be attending, teachers, supervisors, your mom, anyone that can either be there or can help you if needed.

For example, when I used to go to high school (where I had to ask to leave the classroom if I ever needed to) I would always tell my teacher before the start of class that I have panic disorder and if I have a panic attack I’m just going to walk out the classroom.

This way, in case I do need to leave, I don’t have to feel more anxiety by having to put up my hand and drawing attention to myself.

Alternatively, you can let your friends or co-workers know so that they can support you, or tell your parents or a partner you might be super anxious and so they might have to pick you up early.

Obviously you may not actually need to be picked up early, or leave a room, or whatever it is.

But knowing that you can without additional anxiety is really helpful in calming down nerves because it means you have a plan B.

And I also want to add that you don’t have to disclose this information to people the way I did. I felt comfortable doing it but that doesn’t mean you do and if that’s the case, don’t do it.

Follow your instincts!

2. Have Someone Come With You

This may not always be possible. But in the case that it is, it can be really helpful.

Having somewhere there can make you feel more comfortable, confident and they can help you in case anything happens.

If someone can’t be there with you physically, you can alternatively message someone during the event.

Let whoever it is know in advance about the event and what time it’ll be, and ideally, they can message you throughout it to help you.

3. Get Your Energy Out

When I’m anxious about something coming up, I tend to get very jittery.

What helps me with that is exercising a lot the night before or even just doing an activity that requires a lot of energy.

This gets all my jitters out so I can simmer down.

Not only that, but by tiring myself out so much it’s easier for me to sleep (something that is very hard for me to do when I’m anxious).

So if you also tend to get ants in your pants when you’re anxious, try getting rid of all that energy the night before!

4. Practice Relaxing Techniques

If you’re not jittery when you’re anxious, then this will be a better option for you.

Depending on what you feel will work best for you, try doing something relaxing the night before or the morning of the event (or both).

This can be something like meditating, yoga, getting cozy with a book or movie, journaling, taking a walk through nature, painting, or even something as big as going to the spa.

All that matters is that you do something that relaxes you.

This can help you to feel more balanced and calm, which will bleed into how you feel during the anxiety-inducing event.

5. Have a Backup Plan

Now this one is to be used ONLY (I cannot stress this enough) as an absolute last resort.

Having a plan for backing out can help you to feel less anxious because you’ll know that in the worst-case scenario you’re ready to escape.

This includes: having a ready excuse if you have to leave early or not show up at all, having a way of going back home, and knowing where the nearest exits are.

So if for whatever reason you just cannot handle the anxiety you’re feeling, you can do it as gracefully and easily (and realistically).

But I really want to emphasize that you should not do this unless necessary. The way to build up your tolerance to anxiety-inducing events is to go through with them. If you keep running away, your anxiety around them will get worse.  

6. Pep Talk Yourself

The power of word y’all.

Tell yourself that you’ve got this, and that even if something happens you know how to cope and you’ll handle it.

Even if you feel like it’s a lie, keep doing it. The quote “Fake it till you make it” is absolutely right.

You gotta keep telling yourself even if you don’t believe it because eventually, you will.

You’re stellar, you look great, you are great, and you’re gonna crush it.

This also doesn’t have to be super unrealistic and overly positive. You can practice realistic positivity by saying something like:

“I’m super stressed and anxious right now, and I don’t feel the most comfortable and confident. But I’m going to try my best, and I have taken the necessary steps to ensure that I have ways of coping and that I have a backup plan. If I can’t do this, there will be some consequences (potentially) but none of which are something I cannot move past or find solutions to”. 

That up there is the type of pep talk I give myself all the time.

7. Be Honest

Sometimes admitting that you’re anxious to those around you can make the atmosphere more relaxed, comfortable, and warm. Because if you’re anxious, there is a 99% chance everyone else there is too.

When I go in for interviews (especially group ones) I always say I’m nervous. And every single time everyone agreed that they felt the same.

Again, if sharing this type of information about yourself makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t do it.

But if you’re okay with it and it’s appropriate for the situation, you can mention it.

You’ll feel comforted to know probably everyone there is also nervous, and you’ll make the atmosphere less tense (which also helps to make you feel less anxious).

8. Have a Reward Lined Up

If this event is going to be incredibly difficult for you to get through, plan a reward for yourself after.

That can be getting yourself a treat, something material like clothes, going for a massage, going home and wrapping up in a blanket with some tea, or anything you want!

Having an incentive will help keep you motivated and dedicated to following through with the anxiety-inducing event.

9. Take Care of Your Body

This can actually be really important because symptoms of dehydration and starvation can mimic symptoms of anxiety such as:

• Shakiness
• Dizziness
• Being light-headed
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Unable to concentrate
• And much more!

So make sure you’re drinking liquids throughout the event, and that you eat well before or during it.

Again, being prepared really helps here because you can put some snacks in your bag in advance and meal-prep your breakfast or whatever meal you’ll be eating before the event.

Final Thoughts

In all, these tips will help you in conquering and surviving an anxiety-inducing event with ease.

These are all things that I do to help myself feel less anxious, and I hope that they will do the same for you.

If you have any other tips for getting through an anxiety-inducing event, let me and everyone else know in the comments section below. I’d love to hear them!

All my love,

T