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Being a first-generation high school and college graduate in a Mexican American family, I have often felt the pressure to succeed and be overly ambitious. In my twenties, I was a legal administrative assistant at an insurance defense law firm during the week and an assistant at a real estate office during the weekends.
At the age of twenty-five, after years of working seven days a week and dealing with family issues, I could no longer cope with the anxiety of personal and professional stress and became sick. My world came crashing down and I had to quit my two jobs and put my life on hold. Numerous trips to the doctor, therapists, and relying on my mother to care for me (she was now always on standby) became my new normal.
Back in the Game
When I re-entered the world a few years later, I found a part-time job and enrolled at a technical college, which allowed me to attend evening classes while I worked throughout the day. There, I also knew that if I had a panic attack, I could easily step out of the classroom to calm myself. Taking it a little easier and setting up support systems were crucial to my success.
My support system included my mom and my primary care doctor, enrolling in mental health therapy (and taking up tools like journaling), and relying on my Christian faith. This helped me navigate through uncertain health challenges as well as panic attacks, stress, and anxiety.
When I graduated, to my immense delight, I was chosen as the student commencement speaker at my graduation ceremony. After graduation, I landed a wonderful internship at the attorney general’s office, where I made great contacts and gained more experience as a legal professional.
While I’m now on the other side, I’ve continued to care for myself and have additional tools and practices that help me strengthen my body, including exercise and physical therapy. To support me socially, I attend women’s networking activities because they stimulate positive energy. I also altered my diet and replaced processed foods with fresh organic foods, whenever finances allow.
5 Things That Help Me Cope with Anxiety and Stress
For anyone facing big or small stressors in their life, here are my top tips for navigating those times.
1. Identify your support system
It’s crucial to have at least one person you can lean on while you’re dealing with anxiety and stress. Also, take general note of who you surround yourself with. Having supportive and positive people and mentors around is important to maintaining (or building) your health, confidence, and success.
2. Journal
Journaling can be therapeutic because it helps relieve inner thoughts in a judgment-free space. Thoughts you cannot convey verbally or share with others can be written down, and the simple act of writing can provide instant mental and even physical relief.
3. Rest
Taking time off to disconnect and rest is also a great way of relieving stress and energizing yourself both mentally and physically. Everyone deserves some fun time, whether it’s a vacation or just a staycation, so take the time to unwind.
4. Exercise and diet
Keeping physically active and eating a well-balanced diet help your body do its job. To that end, be mindful to eat balanced and nourishing meals, and try different types of physical activities to determine what you find most enjoyable, whether it’s walking, exercising, gardening, or some other activity.
5. Connect
If you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or uncertain, it is important to reach out to those closest to you. A trusted family member can be a great start, and so are friends, as well as forming a relationship with a trusted primary care doctor, therapist, counselor, and/or mentor.
Of course, it’s important to always begin by identifying what is causing your stressors so you can find the proper solutions to help combat them but these tips are a baseline you can use anytime.
Healing is crucial to health and happiness, so don’t hesitate to reach out to someone if you are struggling. Stay strong mentally, surround yourself with the right people, focus on your physical wellbeing, and remind yourself that you will be okay.
Jenny Castro has a bachelor’s degree in law and justice from Central Washington University. She also holds a certificate in women’s entrepreneurship from the University of Washington and a certificate and associate’s degree in legal studies from Renton Technical College (where she was the student commencement speaker in 2019). She is a freelance writer and journalist, and her work has been featured in Latina Style, Chicano Life, Live From The Southside, Seattle Refined, and the University of Washington-Tacoma. She is the creative writer for the nonprofit organization Latinicida, where she creates monthly blogs on education, finance, communication, and networking. Jenny also writes for the nonprofit organization Latinitas, where she has interviewed Latinos in entertainment, pageantry, business, and has written about global issues, history, pop-culture, and the Latino community. In 2021, Jenny won a writing competition for a script based on her life which was praised by Michael Franzese (former mobster-turned-motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and author). In 2020, she was featured as a fan programmer on the Turner Classic Movies channel. You can connect with Jenny Castro on LinkedIn.
