Boxed In - Samiah

When I find myself feeling trapped and unable to escape an emotional spiral, it leads me to identify that I am experiencing what is called being “boxed in”. This can be described as feeling restricted or trapped, and not knowing what the next step should be.

At a point in my life, I found myself in an emotional spiral I wasn’t able to escape. Every day, it was to go to school for 6 hours, be given information I didn’t understand, and then go home and try to figure it out for many more hours. It was a never-ending cycle that made me feel there was no room to breathe or take a break. I felt I was losing my confidence, and as a result, my grades slipped. I decided to reach out to a close friend, and she helped me find a way to manage this stress.

Over time, I learned the following strategies helped me achieve just that:

1. Recognizing I feel “boxed in”

2. Breaking down what this feeling consists of and its origin

3. Reaching out to my close friend and explaining my feelings 

4. Speaking about what I feel 

5. Working together to figure out solutions and coping mechanisms

6. Continuous self check-ins with me and my support system to remain emotionally regulated 

These steps can help feelings of being “boxed in” be avoided by allowing yourself to understand that you do not have to go through struggles alone. As hard as it is to reach out, it can be impactful when you realize someone you trust is there to support you.