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I can vividly remember the first day of 3rd Grade. It was different from any of my previous days of school. 

 

When my mother went to drop me off, I had a panic attack. I was frightened and didn’t want to leave her side. When she finally left after a few minutes I was so scared that I didn’t quite know what to do.

 

My mouth was dry, my hands were clammy, my heart was thumping harder than it ever had before. 

 

I later learned that I had separation anxiety.

 

That year of school was my hardest by far. But it is one that I am now extremely grateful for.

 

 

Through the anxieties that I felt then, and have now, I have learned how to be more compassionate, caring, and empathetic with people around me. This is the most valuable gift I have and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

 

Because of the anxieties that I am prone to feel and know others struggle with as well, I wanted to use my talents to make a video that could soothe my worried mind and help me on my journey to continually live in the present.

how these tips have personally benefitted me and why they are included

relax your mind and body

In preparation for this passion project, I started going to the Bio Feedback lab down in the Counseling and Psychological Services at Brigham Young University. I have started recommending this service to all of my friends that attend BYU. They hook you up and check your vitals and can see realtime when you are stressed and when you are calm. It is an incredibly beneficial experience.

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count to ten

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If I am feeling overwhelmed I have to remind myself to take a step back. I close my eyes, count to ten, and start to slow down my thoughts.

 

In this video, I wanted to visually show what appears in my mind when I count to ten. I see the numbers and slowly my mind gets a little lighter as each number passes by. 

take slow, deep breaths

The breath is the most incredible tool at your disposal when it comes to controlling anxiety. Whether it be meditation, mindfulness, or just feeling in control, learning to control your breath is key.

Personally I have two favorite apps that help me breathe. The first of which is Calm. This app has a timer which times your breath. What works best for me is 4 breaths per minute to help my mind return to a gentle state. However, most people around five or six breaths per minute.

The second app is called Insight Timer. Insight Timer has a built-in meditation for self-guided meditations and also has thousands of other meditations to help with anxiety, depression, or self-help.

I recommend both of these apps to anyone. Even if you feel like you are handling life just fine, if you start breathing, you will find that your reactions to different situations will be more positive.

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click here to find out more

go outside and exercise

In High School, something that I found made me feel on top of the world was running through the foothills of Utah Valley. It's easily my favorite part of Utah.

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One of my favorite music artists is ODESZA and their song kusanagi is the one that backs this video. There is something about this song that makes me feel like a sun rise is happening in my mind.

When I was filming the intro to this video I was met by an Indian man from Mumbai and we talked about life for a couple of hours while the time-lapse was ticking. I enjoy going out and doing the things I love with random people and getting to know what makes them get out of bed.

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talk with a friend

Friends are the most important part of my life. I have found when life gets difficult, calling up a friend always seems to put me in a better headspace. In my life, this last step is the most valuable and important one to remember.

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