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" Growing up, I was a total worrywart. When my dad said only all-A report cards were &amp;quot;fridge-worthy,&amp;quot; it motivated me, but it also made me so nervous that I&amp;#039;d throw up before tests! Anxiety can be a good motivator, but you can&amp;#039;t let it control you \u2014 it&amp;#039;s not healthy. So don&amp;#039;t let wintertime stresses (ahem, shopping for gifts and studying for exams) freak you out. Look at this checklist to see if you&amp;#039;re prone to panic. No matter what your score, read our stress-busters to make the season more Zen! Do any of the following statements apply to you? \u2022My eye seems to twitch a lot. \u2022I have trouble sleeping.  \u2022I get sick before taking a test.  \u2022I&amp;#039;m always biting my nails.  \u2022It&amp;#039;s difficult to concentrate on simple tasks, like short school assignments.  \u2022I need things to be &amp;quot;perfect&amp;quot; to feel relaxed.  If you can relate to two or more items, anxiety could be getting the best of you. Next time you&amp;#039;re in a tailspin, try one of the tips on the next page. Tune in to your personality when choosing \u2014 do you like to go at a slow pace or do you prefer to work off your stress? It makes a difference! IF YOU PREFER A SLOW PACE: Try yoga/Pilates. Focusing on your breathing may make you feel calmer, because when you concentrate on one thing, your mind doesn&amp;#039;t wander as much. Turn to your spirituality. If you&amp;#039;re religious, go to services or pray silently. If you&amp;#039;re not, try meditating. Don&amp;#039;t know how? Download Mini-Meditations for Stress-Free Living by Simonette Vaja to your iPod ($10, itunes.com). Since you can carry your iPod everywhere, you&amp;#039;ll feel prepared if you&amp;#039;re caught in a stressful situation. You&amp;#039;ll know you have something to calm you down right at your fingertips!  Make a collage of your favorite places. Use pics of a family vacation or friends from camp and look at your creation when you&amp;#039;re panicky. Seeing peaceful pictures can help ease your mind. IF YOU PREFER TO WORK OFF THE STRESS: Hit the gym! Regular exercise isn&amp;#039;t a cure-all for anxiety, but it may help reduce tension, which in turn reduces levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress.  Connect with your friends. Do something fun with your closest friends, like taking a dance class or playing games on your Wii. Then grab a bite and chat. Sharing your emotions with people you truly trust is comforting. Learning about their anxieties can put things in perspective \u2014 you&amp;#039;ll see you can handle whatever you&amp;#039;re facing. If these tips don&amp;#039;t make you feel calmer, you might need a trained counselor&amp;#039;s advice. Call 800-273-TALK to find a center near you or to just talk and have someone listen. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/advice/a8187/anxiety-relief-tips/>