Omaha woman creates social media page to help people with anxiety

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Emily Kassmeier started dealing with anxiety in middle school. She knows it’s the details of the unknown that can make exploring new places daunting.

“There are so many of those little details that can really build up,” she said. “If you aren’t sure about those things before you go to a place it can really cause a lot of uncertainty.”

That’s why she decided to start the Omaha Guidebook. It’s a social media account “for people with anxiety who like to try new things.”

The idea spawned a few months ago from a conversation with a friend.

“We were talking about how we don’t really know maybe where to park or how to navigate the space once we get in there,” said Kassmeier.

That’s why she created a page, which can be found on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook with the handle @OmahaGuidebook. Since she launched it, she’s gained nearly 15,000 followers in fewer than three months.

“After that conversation, I was thinking, ‘Man if there was just one place I could go to get that information, that would be amazing.’”

In her videos, she answers questions like where to find the place, where to park, where the bathrooms are, how to sign up or check-in for an event, if it’s handicap accessible, and generally what steps people should expect to follow during their outing.

“I wondered how many other people would find something like that helpful,” she said.

The Chair of UNO’s Counseling Department is among Kassmeier’s newest supporters.

“This is a tool,” said Dr. Christine Chasek. “To me, this is a tool to help people get out and try new things. Actually, I can see counselors using that a lot.”

She said anxiety is the most prevalent mental health disorder in America.

“Anxiety is a lot about the fear of the unknown, so if you know ahead of time, that’s helpful.”

Helping others is why Kassmeier does it. Despite juggling her full-time job for a web development agency, Kassmeier said she loves this new side project and is excited to see it grow.

“I really think Omaha has so much to offer,” she said. “I’ve loved getting to explore a lot of those and taking other people along with me.”

CORRECTION: This story previously stated Kassmeier is a web developer. She does marketing for a web development agency. 6 News regrets this mistake.

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