Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, is a psychotherapist and author who specialises in working with anxiety conditions.
大象传媒 Bitesize gave Josh five common scenarios where anxiety can rear its head, from walking into a room full of people to having a conversation with someone who has different views to you. Watch the videos below to hear Josh's advice, including tips on how to control stress and do your best under pressure.
How to manage social anxiety when entering a room full of people
Picture the scene: you鈥檙e outside a room, and all you can hear inside is fun, laughter and people chatting away like they鈥檝e always known one another. Starting to feel nervous? Here's Josh's advice鈥
How social media can affect your self esteem
Does everyone else鈥檚 social media seem more exciting than yours? Have you sometimes felt pressured to say and share more online to get likes? Josh has some helpful advice鈥
What to do when starting somewhere new
Whether it鈥檚 a new school, job or social activity, everyone gets nervous when they're about to be in a new situation for the first time. Josh has tips on how to approach that first day鈥
How to resolve an argument
Can you stay calm when another person鈥檚 opinions offend you? Josh suggests ways to get your views across without losing your patience.
How to process your feelings
Ever been told 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see things differently when you鈥檙e older鈥︹? What if it鈥檚 true? Josh reflects on how the things that stress us today might seem less important in the future.
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you鈥檙e worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you鈥檙e doing.
If you鈥檙e in need of in-the-moment support you can contact , where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on 大象传媒 Action Line.
Four questions on anxiety answered
Advice on dealing with high pressure situations
What exactly is self-care?
What does self-care actually mean and why is it so important?
Finding the words: Can you help Misha with her anxiety?
An interactive film about helping friends with their mental health.