Vin Boyd - Stay Calm

Staying calm is the one thing I can recommend, only because I’ve had my fair share of not doing so. If you’re like me and you’re highly prone to anxious panic, staying calm is the thing that can help keep your cool. Realizing that you need to take time to consider your options and focus on the present can help you walk out of a situation somewhat unscathed. So I would suggest that you stay calm in every situation you’re faced with, to avoid being panicked or overwhelmed.
I can’t count the number of times I have been in a situation and didn’t stop to think. This has lead to being overwhelmed quickly, moving too fast, taking risks, not thinking about what I’m saying, and messing up. It’s a big fear of mine, to not fit the norm, to not fit people’s standards. I don’t feel in control when I’m overwhelmed. It feels like a wave of blur has passed over me and I can’t focus on what’s actually happening.
I get overwhelmed with small things. I’ll be hanging out with a group of friends when suddenly I’m talking too much because I’m hanging out with people I like! I make a lot of noise, I make a scene. Since fifth grade, I’ve been trying and almost succeeding in controlling my behavior, since it causes so much trouble. I don’t like feeling overwhelmed enough that I’m making these mistakes. It makes me feel lesser. That I shouldn’t be there if I’m just going to cause trouble.
I haven’t really been able to put this feeling into words yet. It’s been a long strive to even control it. And I’m still working on it. I’m definitely not perfect. I still slip up. I’m still too loud. Still too much.
Being calm is part of being in control. You can handle a situation by simply taking a step back and considering what’s really happening. It all comes from slowing down, stopping what you’re doing, and thinking. It’s resourceful to take a break from something, breathe, and stay calm.