“Any chance you can scrap the final exam?” This was the question that one of our tutors, who also teaches at an Ontario University, was asked on the second day of classes. When the student was asked “Why?”, anxiety was the top concern.
Anxiety can affect students of all grade levels. Surveys of Ontario high school students show that 1 in 3 report clinically relevant levels of anxiety, a rate that has increased over the last few years. Anxiety can be devastating and severely impact student success. Recognizing and alleviating its symptoms before it becomes paralyzing is the best approach for parents and teachers alike. The following are all signs that a student may be experiencing increased anxiety:
- Irritability, edginess, constant worrying, and restlessness.
- Avoiding friends and social activities, increased isolation and screen time.
- Headaches, nausea, upset stomach, and difficulty concentrating.
- Trouble sleeping, oversleeping, or waking up feeling tired.
- Missed assignments, procrastination, poor test results, and overall lower grades.
- Refusing to go to school or going to great lengths to avoid school.
- Perfectionism and overthinking.
There are many positive strategies that parents and teachers can use to help prevent student anxiety as well as support those who might already be struggling, including:
- Reframe anxiety as a normal emotion rather than a serious health issue. Anxiety is a normal response to a challenge and being nervous about an assignment or before a test can be perceived as a healthy motivator to prepare.
- Check in with your student often, particularly when you don’t feel like it. As adults, it is only natural to become preoccupied from time to time with our own stresses and concerns and assume that no complaints mean our students are coping just fine. Find time to talk about feelings so that you can keep a pulse on your students’ stress levels.
- Discourage avoidance behaviours as much as possible.
- Encourage realistic expectations and discourage perfectionism by praising work that is good enough.
- Build confidence by working with a tutor. A tutor will help your student feel empowered, remind them of their strengths, help set a pace that will prevent them from becoming overwhelmed, and remind them that they can succeed.
While student anxiety is almost ubiquitous, recognizing it early and taking pre-emptive steps to address it is the best way to maximize both positive mental health and academic success. Sometimes this message is more readily received when it comes from a trusted adult outside the family.
