My fears have stopped me from doing many things I wanted to do. I have missed out on social events, school, etc. I have very bad social anxiety and I have a really big fear of people judging me. This has made it really hard for me to ask for help because i feel stupid when I do, and because of this, I’ve had many missing assignments just because I was too nervous to ask for help. After reading this article, I’ve realized that many people feel the same way and that you should not let your fears take you over because in the long run, you will look back and regret the opportunities you missed.

— Mckenzie, Loveland, Colorado

Fear keeps people from living. It traps us and convinces us that we are not up to the task, that we are too weak to struggle through. But Ms. Gorman’s advice helps remind us that the only possible way to truly get over our fears is to own them and face them head on. Although it truly is a struggle to gather up the courage to own our fear, in the end, if we follow through, the reward and accomplishing feeling is worth it. Ms. Gorman’s advice reflects this idea, so in the pursuit of getting over my public speaking fear, I will own it.

— Carlin, Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn

I struggle with ADHD and anxiety, both these diagnoses sometimes try to scare me out of doing even the smallest of things. The anxiety-ridden voice in my head tries to talk me out of going somewhere or doing something with the “What if?” questions: “What if you fail?” What if you get hurt?” “What if it doesn’t go the way we planned?” Something I have learned so I don’t pass on stuff that would probably regret is to quiet those voices because if I didn’t I would be like the speaker, Amanda Gorman, who almost passed on delivering her poem at Biden’s inauguration because of the “What ifs.” She figured out that if she missed out on that once in a lifetime opportunity because of being scared of the possible outcomes, she might regret it forever.

— Olivia, Block 4, Hoggard High School

Advice for Getting Through Scary Moments

Whenever my paranoid thoughts take over my mind, I say loudly to myself mentally, “Stop talking. Everything will be okay,” repeatedly. It works well when there is something I can distract myself with (like a crowd), but when there are times when I’m alone by myself, it does not work as well. I try my best to think positively and look at the good sides. “My parents will be proud of me. I will be proud of myself. This will be good for me.”

— Yang, J.R Masterman Philadelphia, PA

Presenting in front of the class or preparing for a presentation brings me anxiety; consequently, I use several techniques that help me remain relaxed so that these nervous feelings do not hinder my presentation. Like Ms. Gorman, I recite words of confidence and encouragement. This is an effective strategy because it allows me to realize that I am prepared for what is ahead. Additionally, I remind myself that the presentation will last for a small period of time. After it is over, the pressure will no longer be a burden. Another effective tool I use while talking to large groups of people is focusing on one spot in the crowd. This prevents me from directly reading off notecards, and forces me to face the audience I am speaking to. These approaches have aided to ease my anxiety and allowed me to present more comfortably in front of my classes.

— Javier, Maury High School, Norfolk VA

Learning to Deal With Fear or Anxiety

I was about 12 years old. I remember driving up to the Disney parks and seeing the biggest roller coaster of my life, and saying that I would never ride on it. Well, I was wrong. My mom had different plans for me. As we approached the ride, I was fine waiting for my family to do their thing, I even went as far as waiting by a churro stand as they were in line. But then my mom called me to at least wait in line with them, then I was ready to go, and she asked me to at least go to the front of the line, then to at least wait on the side as they went on the ride, then by some magical persuasion, I sat in the seat of my first roller coaster. I will admit, it was fun, and that I have never stapled my feet as hard to anything, but it was nice to separate myself from my fears, and experience something that I would have never predicted would happen, not die.

— Belle, Atrisco Heritage Academy

If I am dealing with anxious thoughts and doubt at a certain time, I think to myself, “What am I doing?” and “Does this really matter?” If the answer is yes, then I try not to think about it, as it would just lead to more stress accumulation or I try and relax before I make a decision. It is my personal belief that a decision made with emotions is a very rushed and illogical decision. After all that is done, I regroup and start to think of a solution and if I don’t think it’ll work, I’ll ponder a while more. Then I ask myself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Then I go ahead with the decision. If I am overcome with fear and severe anxious thoughts, then I go with a obviously different approach. As much as this seems far-fetched, I tend to have an easier time with dealing with fear when I simply tell myself it’s just my head.

— David, Glenbard West High School