Skills and strategies for managing anxiety

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At the end of this e-module, I can:

  • Promote self-awareness and self-care for students.
  • Understand anxiety coping strategies.
  • Explain to students how they can get support.
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Who is this course for?

“No story is the same. But you’re never alone

Garofalo (2019)

Module 3: Skills and Strategies for Managing Anxiety

The onset of mental health disorders is typically before the age of 25 and often overlaps with the time that young adults are in higher education (Heim & Heim, 2021; Price, 2017).

Entering higher education is a major transition for most young people. It can come with changes to their social networks and their living arrangements. They also must adjust to new ways of learning and may have additional financial burdens (Campbell et al., 2022). As a result, the academic environment can expose learners to feelings of stress and anxiety.

Beiter et al. (2015) found that learners’ top reported concerns were pressure to succeed, academic performance, and uncertainty about the future (post-graduate plans). Stress can also be triggered and compounded by outside factors, e.g., relationships, financial problems, etc.

It is important that learners can recognise the signs of anxiety and their own personal triggers. Educators can play an important role, by understanding the specific experience of anxiety in higher education and having the skills to support students.

Learners can use self-care and self-help techniques independently to manage mild feelings of anxiety. Recommended techniques include simple breathing and grounding exercises (NHS, 2022; Star, 2022).

Grounding exercises involve activities such as running your hands under cold water, gently shaking your whole body, and naming things you can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell, also known as rule 333 or the 5-4-3-2-1 technique (Coelho, 2021; Hirschlag, 2023). These types of exercises allow you to focus on your environment, tune into your senses and be in the present moment.

Journalling can be helpful for identifying the source of your anxiety, as well as your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour around it (Smyth et al., 2018). It is also beneficial to focus more on what is within your control.

Coping refers to a person’s response in dealing with a stressful situation. Coping styles and strategies depend on the situation and the characteristics of the person. Common coping strategies are described below (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).

Solution-focused:
  • This involves logical analysis of the situation, producing solutions, and planning a series of actions to change the situation.
Emotion-focused:
  • This strategy is about working on anxiety-related reactions and reformulating your perspective on the source of anxiety.
Dysfunctional:
  • This is typically an unhelpful strategy. It includes tactics such as denial, avoidance, and ineffective emotional discharge.

Cognitive errors and distortions are a misinterpretation of situations, and include behaviours such as self-blame, rumination, catastrophising, and positive reappraisal (Legerstee et al., 2011). Lower levels of anxiety are associated with stronger resilience and the use of humour (Savitsky et al., 2020).

Module 3: Skills and Strategies for Managing Anxiety

It is important to know how to offer students support and that they also know where to seek it. Take time to speak to students and provide them with opportunities to tell you if they are struggling with anxiety or their mental health.

  • Listen actively to their concerns.

  • Show your support and be reassuring.

  • Avoid being judgemental or attributing blame.

  • Know how and where students can access professional support such as support groups, mental health support at your HEI, private / public mental health support in the area / community.

Reflection

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In what way(s) do you think anxiety impacts the students that you teach? 

Reflect on instances where you have noticed students presenting signs / symptoms of anxiety. 

What did you do & how did it go?

Mentoring for Positive Mental Health – Managing anxiety in Higher Education Institutions

How Educators can Support Students

  • Establish from the start that students can come to you for assistance. Highlight the resources available on campus and make it clear that these can be accessed by anyone when they need them, and it is never too early to ask for help!

  • Have an inclusive approach and make it clear you do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment, etc.

  • Be open to student feedback and making learning materials more accessible. Make it clear that students can tell you about aspects that may affect their performance on the course, such as learning styles / life circumstances, if they feel comfortable sharing this and think it is something you need to know.

  • If mental health issues are starting to impact a student’s academic work - make accommodations, produce solutions, and refer them to counselling. Information from Kovesi (2015)

  • When mental health-related events are happening on campus, notify students about them.

  • Understand that some students may have difficulty asking you questions face-to-face at times. Offer alternatives and choices where possible, such as participation emails.

  • Remind students that it is okay to ask for feedback on work that is incomplete and that it is better to submit something than nothing. Be mindful of the links between perfectionism, procrastination, and anxiety.

  • Use trigger warnings.

  • Encourage students to take breaks and engage in other activities. Information from Kovesi (2015)

Strategies for Educators
  • Stevenson (2010) describes the following preventative strategies educators can encourage students to use; aim for a balance between personal life and study, explore your preferred learning styles and different learning techniques, and organise your study workload. 
  • Stevenson (2010) indicates points where students experiencing anxiety commonly find it will affect their ability to do coursework. The first point is when starting a project or assignment. Students may procrastinate and feel stuck or ‘frozen’. This can be managed by breaking the task up into smaller steps. Educators can offer students a preliminary plan, e.g., an assignment template with sections and specific word counts.
  • Students may also struggle to start a project after doing background research and reading. There are some unblocking strategies that can be used, such as writing a few sentences to summarise their view on the subject without looking at the notes they have taken.
Techniques for Dealing with Anxiety
  • There are several techniques that can be used to reduce and manage anxiety. It is important to remember that these techniques will not work for every person, and it is a good idea to speak to an expert who can inform you of contraindications. It is worthwhile to try out a variety of techniques to work out what suits you best!
  • Breathing and grounding exercises can be incorporated into lectures, e.g., before or after an exam. However, give learners the option to opt out. Be aware that mindfulness and other grounding exercises may be triggering for some people who have experienced trauma (Miller-Karas, 2023).
  • Other techniques / therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy programs, progressive muscle relaxation, predicting events cognitively, e.g., thinking about alternative outcomes in a scenario, and activities to distract yourself such as listening to music, etc. (Morrison & Heimberg, 2013).

Benefits of this Mentoring Model for the chosen Topic

  1. This is a flexible and collaborative approach, where student input is welcomed.
  2. It is a student-first model that accounts for the variety of student needs.
  3. The educator will continually develop their skills by following the recommended strategies.
  4. This model recognises the different ways anxiety can impact students and their education.

Practical Advice for using this model (Tips and Hints)

  1. Build a strong relationship with the counselling and disability services at your HEI.
  2. Follow your own advice. Be aware of your own stress and how you manage it.
  3. Educate yourself on the various factors that can impact student anxiety such as finances, life experiences, culture, being a member of a marginalised group, etc.

Real-life Scenario - Adapted from Butland et al. (2021)

Introduction: Isaac is a second-year computer science student and is the first member of their family to go to university. Their family has invested a lot of money to help them cover the course fees and other costs.

Background: Lately they have been sitting at the back of the class. They are not as engaged with your lectures as they used to be and always appear on edge. You have noticed that for the last few projects their grades have started to go down. Last week they left an exam early, looking visibly upset. They failed that exam. Before this, they were getting very high grades and were generally getting along well.

Scenario: When you talk to them about it, they appear worried and nervous. They start to pace and fidget with their hands. They say they feel overwhelmed and ‘stuck’. They disclose to you that they are finding it increasingly difficult to start projects or to concentrate on studying at all. This makes them feel guilty for wasting their families’ money, and they are embarrassed to tell them that they have failed an exam. They believe things would be better if they just dropped out of the course.

What can the student do?

1

Hopefully, Isaac will feel a sense of relief by opening up to their lecturer about what is going on. If they feel comfortable, it could be worthwhile telling other supportive people in their life.

2

They can also look for support groups for people who are struggling with similar problems and who have had similar experiences. This can be at the university, in the community, or online.

3

Isaac can check if there is mental health support at the university. Most European universities have mental health centres for students and staff. They might also have links to other resources, as well as workshops and training.

4

Isaac might also consider getting support from a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist if needed.

What can the teacher do?

 

  • Express support & empathy.
  • Share available resources.
  • Validate their feelings.
  • Provide options.
  • Encourage them to visit counselling services.
Example Response:

This sounds really challenging. Thank you for telling me. I know that wasn’t easy, and I’m sorry you’re going through this. I want to reassure you that I am here to help you, and together we can figure out a way forward that suits you. We can make a plan of how to tackle the course work and I will check if it is possible for you to re-take the exam. We can also discuss if there is anything that would make the exam more accommodating for you. 

There are counselling services on campus, and I can recommend a counsellor who can help you through this. Would you like me to help you connect with counselling services?

Unhelpful Responses:

“Don’t worry so much”, “You just need to study harder, that way you won’t fail an exam again”, “The course is meant to be intensive – you should be able to keep up”.

Call to Action

Independent Activity

Watch this video entitled ‘Inside Anxiety’ that depicts everyday experiences of student stress and anxiety. Briefly reflect on each of the five scenarios presented in the video by writing down 2-4 lines of what you make of the scenario and what you think the video is trying to convey about the student’s experience. Take note of any signs / symptoms of anxiety that you notice.

Group Activity

Open these scenarios from Butland et al. (2021) and download the version without the responses. Select a scenario and act it out in pairs / small groups. Take turns responding to the situation as the educator and then discuss it as a group. Afterwards, open this version that includes suggested responses and consider how you could improve your initial response.

Optional Activity

This activity can be carried out individually or in a group setting. Practice the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Watch this video for more information!

Additional and Further Information

Title: Responding to Mental Health Challenges: Example Scenario.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilyLuOCE3z4 

Why it’s recommended: This video presents a positive example of an educator speaking with a student about their experience of anxiety.

Title: Practical Strategies for Educators to support Students with Social Anxiety.

Link: https://www.cple.blog/posts/breaking-the-silence-part-2-practical-strategies-for-educators-to-support-students-with-social-anxiety/ 

Why it’s recommended: This guide has practical tips that educators can use to support learners.

Title: Managing Anxiety & Panic Attacks in College.

Link: https://www.ucd.ie/all/t4media/Managing%20Anxiety%20and%20Panic%20Attacks.pdf 

Why it’s recommended: This document includes activities that students can do to help manage and reduce their anxiety.

References

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project Number – 2022-1-PL01-KA220-HED-00008.

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