Self help with Anxiety - Gen Z

By Jennifer Kyndnes

Are you sick of suffering with anxious thoughts and feelings?

If left unattended, anxiety can wreak havoc on anyone's mental and physical well-being.

Whether it is the pressure of social media, friendship groups, or other larger world problems, there are many things that can bring today's youth plenty of anxiety. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that many Gen Zers & Teens struggle with it and suffer the consequences.

And while previous generations were able to go home and switch off, mentally recharging for the next day, the recent advancements in digital technology mean that Gen Z is not afforded the same time and privacy for essential reflection.

As a result, it is almost impossible not to suffer from anxiety as a young person growing up today. Without the right tools, that is.

Introducing Help With Anxiety—Gen Z, a book that offers help and support on adulting, financial worries, career decisions, social media, and friendships.

This is the perfect book to help navigate mental health during these tough new times.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for anxiety. Instead, this book provides you with options on how to handle anxious thoughts and feelings.

The book discusses the challenges of adulting, social media, career decisions, how they cause anxiety, and particularly how to face them. Learn how to embrace the feeling of fear, and then act anyway!

Rather than suffering alone, this book will teach you how to reframe your mind and live a less anxious and much healthier life. Instead of spending hours stressing, wouldn't you rather live a life full of happiness and contentment?

Inside Help With Anxiety—Gen Z, discover:

• How to explore anxiety and treat it as a normal emotion.
• The common sources of anxiety in the modern world.
• How to build your own personal toolkit to tackle anxiety effectively.
• Ways to tackle specific anxiety within your life.
• Emotional regulation techniques and other ways to deal with anxiety.

Don't live another day filled with anxiety and worry.

Grab a copy of Self Help With Anxiety—Gen Z today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Kyndnes
• Release date: Jul 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9781991192530

Jennifer Kyndnes

Jennifer Kyndnes – suffers from anxiety and knows what it is like to battle her own demons. Anxiety had become part of her repertoire, and she could not engage in most activities without having the ‘worried- response’. Anxiety and mental illness are her passions. She believes it would be great to have an on/off button on our brains but as we, humans, don’t have one; the next best thing is to take one step at a time, be responsible for yourself and for the consequences of the choices we make. On her journey, she realised that self-love (and being kind to yourself) is the missing link to our overall wellbeing.

Book preview

Self Help With Anxiety – Gen Z

Go from ‘Adulting do not recommend’ to ‘Adulting like a pro’: Relationships,  Financial worries, Career decisions, Social media and friendships

Jennifer Kyndnes

© Copyright 2023 - All rights reserved.

The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author or the publisher.

Under no circumstances will any blame or legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary loss due to the information contained within this book, either directly or indirectly.

Legal Notice:

This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the author or publisher.

Disclaimer Notice:

Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, reliable, complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaged in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any techniques outlined in this book.

By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of the use of the information contained within this document, including, but not limited to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Illogical Shame of Being Anxious in an Ever-Changing World

Understanding the Spectrum of Mental Health

You Can Shine a Light in the Tunnel: Living a Fulfilling Life in Spite of Anxiety

Chapter 1: Worry Nut: Anxiety in a Nutshell

That Anxious Feeling: Exploring Anxiety as a Normal Emotion

Heart in Motion: The Role/Physiology of the Anxiety Response

Tension, Movement, and Performance: The Lesser-Known Roles of Anxiety in Our Lives.

Identifying Mental Health Red Flags and Seeking Help

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Internal Family Systems Therapy

Reality Therapy

Gestalt Therapy

There Is No Shame in Seeking Help

Chapter 2: Stems and Roots: Sources of Anxiety in the Modern World

The Price of Knowing More and Not Knowing More

The Problem With Anticipation

The Irony of Modern Connection

The Art and Tragedy of Killing Time

Chapter 3: Skills and Strategies: Building Your Personal Toolkit

Cognitive Reframing

Minimizing Surprise

Present-Centeredness

Social Media Reset

Maximizing Internet Use

Chapter 4: Dealing With Worry and Anxiety in Specific Areas

Academic Concerns

Active Learning

Get Curious and Explore Your Academics Outside of the Set Framework

Taking Extra Lessons

Social Concerns

Don’t Do Things That Take You Out of Your Character

Avoid Negative Coping Mechanisms

Use Cognitive Reframing

Face Your Social Fears Head-on

Shift Your Focus From Yourself to the Other Person

Rename Your Interactions With Your Social Anxiety

Financial Concerns

Take a Realistic Look at Your Financial Status

Look Into Creating an Extra Source of Income

Career Concerns

Take Stock of Your Strengths and Skills

Look to the Future

Global Concerns

Climate Change

Raise Awareness

Get Involved

Make Changes to Your Lifestyle

War

Cultivate Kindness and Compassion

Limit Your Media Exposure

Create an Interactive Routine

Chapter 5: Exercises

Emotion Regulation Techniques

Breathing Exercises

5-4-3-2-1 Method

Box Breathing

Belly Breathing

Resonant Breathing

Movement Exercises

Neck and Shoulder Rolls

Muscle Tension and Release

Rhythmic Movement

Conclusion

Free Workbook

References

Introduction

Whenever you start to feel overwhelmed by the reality of an unknown future, I hope you can remember that today used to be one of those days that you worried so tirelessly about. Now, here you are, on the other side of that unknown, successfully making it through each moment, one breath at a time. And the fact that you’re still breathing and finding light along the path is proof; your unknowns have not defined you. Even here, there is more to you. –Morgan Harper Nichols

Anxiety is one of those human emotions that we all dread to experience; it’s that niggling feeling you get when you’re in a situation that you’re not quite sure how to handle. More often than not, the longer the uncertainty remains in you, the more that feeling grows until it becomes a large, growling creature that has you cowering before it. Most people can’t tell you exactly when their worries grew into stress and then finally became anxiety. The unfortunate truth about life is this: It’s impossible for anyone to go through life without ever experiencing fear, stress, or anxiety to some degree. Our human nature is to fear the unknown because we want to protect ourselves in every way possible, at all times. Anxiety finds its root in that fear, and that fear is a normal and, dare I say, healthy part of what makes us wholly human. You always want to know what you are getting yourself into or what will be expected of you at any given moment. No one wants to be found lacking in capabilities or cast out from a group. Fear is meant to help us survive and thrive in the various environments and situations we find ourselves in as we try and navigate life. We can only do that if we know how to use fear without letting it overwhelm us and debilitate us.

Although we all experience anxiety at various points of our lives, each person’s anxiety is triggered by different things, and the intensity of your anxiety ebbs and flows depending on a number of factors. For example, if you are going for your first-ever interview for an academic or employment opportunity, then your anxiety will be high because you’re stepping into unknown territory. You don’t know what to expect, and you may be worried that you’ve prepared all the wrong things and you will mess up the interview completely. But you find that as you go for your second, third, and fourth interviews, you’re less anxious. You’re starting to get into the groove of those environments and you’re getting a better understanding of what is expected of you, so you are better prepared each time. So, although you are facing the same situation over and over again, your level of anxiety in that situation and your response to it keeps changing because of external factors like your preparedness, your confidence in your ability to navigate that space, and your familiarity with that particular situation.

An overwhelmingly common experience that we all have with anxiety is that feeling of isolation. For a lot of us, going through life as a person that is more prone to experiencing feelings of anxiety can make you feel like you are the odd man out, the only one struggling to navigate aspects of life that others seem to be breezing through. Feeling like you cannot find relief in others by confiding your struggles and emotions to them because they won’t understand can add to your anxiety. Finding yourself in this space can be incredibly challenging, not only because it’s an uncomfortable mental state to be in, but because that discomfort transfers to your body.

It’s a commonly known fact that our minds and bodies are intricately connected. It’s therefore not surprising that the discomfort of anxiety not only affects our minds but extends to the body as well. Our brain is made to be in constant communication with the body so that all our bodily functions keep running as they should. So, when your brain becomes aware that you are in distress for some reason or another, it naturally communicates that to your body. There are common physical symptoms or sensations that mark the presence of anxiety in our bodies, but each person’s physiological response is a combination of different symptoms or sensations that present themselves at varying intensities. For some people, their anxiety is marked by a weakness in the knees or sweaty palms and shortness of breath. For others, feeling anxious makes their throat dry up and their vision blur, or it makes them feel like a wormhole has