“Do not be anxious about anything,” says Philippians 4:6. It’s hard. Academics, relationships, finances, the future and finding community are student’s biggest stressors, said Craig Cochran, the director of Taylor’s counseling center.
People automatically assume feeling negative emotions is a bad thing and they should be ‘fixed’ immediately. But they aren’t and they don’t.
Krista Ryndak, a certified biblical counselor, said emotions are God-given data points. They give us information on our circumstances. Though helpful overall, the push for mental health awareness had the effect of making it difficult for people to distinguish between healthy stress and clinical anxiety.
Stress doesn’t always have to be negative.
“Sometimes our stress doesn't have to be negative,” Cochran said. “That can be something that could help propel us to… work harder, study harder.”
It becomes unhealthy, Cochran said, when people become so focused on their anxiety it detracts from their ability to function. If you constantly ruminate on your problems, your situation, your struggles, your stress will turn into anxiety. Your thought patterns are stuck in a self-focused loop.
It’s isolating.
“When I'm just more focused on me, I'm also blowing things up out of proportion,” Karen Elsea, the dean of nursing at Taylor, said. “You know, just making maybe it a bigger problem than it is.”
Social media is a popular coping mechanism. Cochran said it can act as an escape from reality – but one that can leave the user feeling anxious. People use ChatGPT to cope as well, Ryndak said.
People turn to social media and ChatGPT instead of real friends, because social media and ChatGPT won’t reject them and will speak positive affirmation to them, she said.
These online interactions are still entirely focused on the self – which won’t remove anxiety.
Allie Beth Stuckey, a cultural commentator, said, “The self can’t be both our problem and our solution. If the self is the source of our depression or despair or insecurity or fear, it can’t also be the source of our ultimate fulfillment. That means loving ourselves more doesn’t satiate us. We need something else—something bigger. Simply, we need Jesus.”
Humanity was created for relationship with God. He designed humans to be in community – it’s one of the ways we reflect him. But sin broke that relationship. Anxiety and fear ultimately stem from that.
Ryndak said, “if we are submitted to Christ, those other things do naturally begin to fall more in line.”
The foundational issue behind anxiety can only be dealt with through Christ.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything,” but it doesn’t end there. Paul provides a way out of the anxiety: tell God what is troubling you and find something you can thank Him for. His peace will guard your heart.
Elsea said knowing God is in control and you can trust Him can be helpful in times of stress.
A few other ways to manage anxiety: be in community. Cochran said wearing headphones or looking at your phone may tell other people you don’t want to talk to them, even if it’s not your intention. Say hi to those around you, even if you don’t know them.
Changing your routine so you aren’t doing the same things you’ve done while anxious can help, Cochran said. For example, study in the library instead of your room.
Get outside, even if it’s just for a little bit. Find somewhere to serve, be it through formal volunteering or just doing something for someone else at school. Cochran said service will get you out of that anxious mindset.
Anxiety won’t last forever. God is in control.
