There is a lot going on in the world these days and it makes sense that students are feeling increased anxiety. With the pandemic alone, numerous studies have shown that Ontario school-aged children and youth are demonstrating significantly more symptoms of anxiety. Add in other personal and world situations, and it is not surprising that many students are feeling anxious. As a caring adult in the school you are in a unique position to help students learn about and manage anxiety, as well as connect them with additional in-school or community supports if needed.
The first step to helping students manage their anxiety is to become educated about anxiety and what it may look like within the classroom. Anxiety is normal. Everyone has worries and fears now and then. This is the way our brain and body warn us when we might be in danger and helps us to get away from a perceived threat (fight, flight, freeze response). This may remind you of stress, and indeed there is an overlap between the two. They share the same response system in our bodies and the symptoms of both may be very similar, but they have different causes. Stress is generally a response to an external situation and it goes away once the situation is over. Anxiety tends to be internal, meaning individuals have a specific reaction to stress, and it persists even after the situation has passed.
Anxiety can become a problem – when feelings of anxiety become persistent and intense, seem exaggerated, don’t seem to match the situation, are causing distress, or are impacting daily functioning. Each student is unique and will show different responses to anxiety, but there are certain things you can look out for in the classroom. These include perfectionism, avoidance, worries about things like time limits or changes in routines, and physical symptoms like frequent headaches or stomach aches. Anxiety related symptoms can make it hard for students to get work done and it may affect their relationships with teachers and other students. In some cases, it can lead to missed school days or outright refusal to attend school.
During these uncertain times, anxiety can be difficult to manage both for students and adults. You can help students learn to recognize and manage anxiety. You can start by reviewing the resources below, creating a mentally healthy classroom, and linking students to additional supports in your school or in the community when needed.