I could hear the clock ticking, and gradually, it would be the only sound I perceive. Looking up, I see a timer that has no desire to stop. My hands start to tremble, my right leg bouncing up and down, as my heart beats increases by the minute. The cold temperature in the room doesn’t help the stress that is building up. My mind feels so trapped, struggling to get free from that dreadful prison. I stare blankly at the problem in front of me, not knowing what to do to stop feeling so hopeless. My predicament, not knowing the answer to the question on my test. All of my confidence is thrown out the window because I let one question tumble me down. The habit of overthinking has stuck by my side and has no intention of letting go. "Five minutes left” I heard the teacher say. My eyes darted towards the timer, as my emotions came rushing through. I could feel the sweat on my palms, and that burning sensation in my throat. I couldn’t help but gulp. The level of panic was soaring, so I answered the remaining questions as fast as I could. Suddenly, the test was over. I stayed seated with a defeated look on my face. All I could think about was how I am a failure, and a huge disappointment yet again. I fought back the tears. It wouldn’t be appropriate of me to cry. I put on a fake smile and pretended everything was alright. The walk home was just as miserable when school ended. The atmosphere seemed a lot darker than usual. When I got closer to home I ran the rest of the way and went straight to my room. I had to let all of my bottled up emotions out. I cried like there was no tomorrow, and since I was alone, I allowed all my pessimistic thoughts stay because I believed they were true. The words ​stupid, worthless, and weak​ is what I cannot stop thinking about. The scariest thing for me is telling someone about how I feel, especially my parents. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing how they would react. Therefore, I had came to the conclusion that talking about it and asking for help was a sign of weakness, so it would be best to keep it to myself, and avoid communication. As time passed by, my father returned home, and I went to greet him by putting up a cheerful act. But, he could see through my facade, both of my parents can read me like a book. When he confronted me about it, I avoided eye contact and immediately denied anything was wrong. There was a skeptical look on his face. My father sat me down and said, “Whenever you are ready”. The silence was insufferable, and his intense stare never left my eyes. I couldn’t handle the pressure and I just let out how I was feeling about myself. My father raised his hand, and I flinched at the movement. He put his hand on my head and caressed it. He told me, “Don’t be afraid if you have a problem. Asking for help from time to time is okay. Even if you can solve the issue yourself, talking about it will help you find ideas on how to move forward. Just because you have made mistakes, it doesn’t define you as a failure. As long as you learn from your mistakes, you will grow”. From that day on, I’ve learned that if something gets me down, to just get right back up and do better. Overthinking only creates more problems and causes panic. My experience led me to free my mind, to stay calm in stressful situations and have a healthier, happier mind set.