Managing Academic Anxiety

An appropriate level of anxiety is necessary to provide the motivation and perseverance which lead to academic success. At high levels, however, anxiety can interfere with a student’s memory, concentration and ability to perform academic tasks. The goal is to manage anxiety effectively so that the student can relax and perform to the best of his or her abilities.

Academic anxiety might be triggered by a specific task such as writing or test-taking, or it could be experienced more generally when faced with academic demands. Academic anxiety can manifest as thoughts or worries including predictions of failure or negative self-talk. It can also be experienced through physiological symptoms such as rapid heart-rate, sweating, muscle tension, headaches, stomach upset or a general sense of restlessness and discomfort in the body. Academic anxiety often leads to challenges with behavioral/emotional regulation resulting in tantrums around homework, avoidance behaviors, etc.

Effective interventions will address both the cognitive and physiological symptoms experienced by the student. NESCA offers the following services to treat academic anxiety:

Mind-Body Integration Therapy

This is a holistic, yoga-based approach to therapy in which movement, yoga postures and breathing techniques are used to promote muscle relaxation and to engage the parasympathetic nervous system. Guided visualization or meditation techniques are introduced to counter worries and negative thoughts. As the mind-body connection is strengthened, students gain insight into how and when they are experiencing anxiety and learn specific techniques to apply as needed in the moment.

Therapeutic Tutoring

Therapeutic tutoring includes direct instruction in relaxation and visualization techniques along with academic support. Students may not be able to “work on” academic anxiety in traditional therapy because they are not experiencing the anxiety during the therapy. In a tutoring situation, the anxiety may well arise, and the therapeutic tutor can use that moment to explore unproductive thought patterns and behaviors and intervene at the cognitive and/or physiological level. Academic anxiety is frequently experienced by students with learning challenges or developmental disabilities. Tutoring can help these students to develop the study skills and organizational strategies they need to face academic tasks with confidence. Students with academic anxiety may also engage in unproductive behaviors such as watching the clock or perseverating on difficult problems. The therapeutic tutor can help students to identify and modify these behaviors.