How do I deal with my anxiety and not being able to graduate on time?

I am sorry to hear you are going through a hard time right now. It is hard that your friends will graduate, and you have to do an extra semester. This does not make you a failure, and it does not mean you are a bad person. Sometimes, things pop up, there are factors out of your control, or you just have times that are harder than others. That is normal, and it does not define your character or who you are as a person.

Knowing that it has been hard this past year, and you have one more semester to go, I would go ahead and plan and set up things that can help you. This can include supports, time organization, utilizing resources your school offers, and even creating an environment that reduces stress, anxiety, and distractions. I would also encourage you to lean on the supports you do have in family or friends and have an outlet to help you manage and cope with anxiety and stress.

Other people will have their own opinions and thoughts. That is something that is out of your control. Try to make the shift to focus on those things that you can control. Those people who are real and healthy supports will help and support you through this situation. You can't control how others could perceive you, but you can reduce the amount of anxiety and worry this triggers in yourself. We are our own's hardest critic. We judge ourselves much harsher than others do most of the time. One or a couple mistakes should not change someone's overall judgement of you.

I would also encourage you to dive into the reasons other people's opinions mean so much to you, why you are hard on yourself, and where that belief that you are a failure was created. Learning this and increasing self-awareness can help you heal and move past the hurt that has been caused from this in past experiences. Most of the time, it points to something that has happened in the past.

Here is a book that may resonate with you that goes over some of these things. It is called The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown.