Understanding and Managing Anxiety

Understanding and Managing Anxiety

A concise guide to understanding and effectively managing anxiety for a healthier and happier life.

Resource:
Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Focus on Self-Regulated Learning

What do we know about anxiety?

• Emotionality: Physiological and psychosomatic aspects of anxiety

  (headaches and stomack distress).

• Worry: Cognitive aspect of anxiety, such as negative beliefs

• Motivational Strategies: Source cannot always be identified

• Stress vs. Anxiety: Extreme anxiety is a mental disorder, stress is not.

• Sources of Stress and Anxiety: Academic demands, work, roommate issues, financial and career concerns, family pressure

Academic demands are a common stressor for students.

Multiple Select

What are some common sources of stress and anxiety for students?

• Emotionality and worry

• Motivational strategies and stress

• Academic demands and work

• Financial concerns and family pressure

Common Sources of Stress

• Academic demands and work: Students often feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform well in their studies and manage their workload.

• Emotionality and worry: Anxiety and stress can arise from personal and emotional challenges that students face.

• Motivational strategies and stress: Students may struggle with finding effective ways to stay motivated and manage stress.

• Financial concerns and family pressure: Financial difficulties and expectations from family can contribute to stress and anxiety.

Understanding Test Anxiety

• Worry vs Emotionality: Test anxiety can be divided into two dimensions - worry and emotionality.

• Worry: Negative beliefs, troubling thoughts, and poor decisions are associated with worry.

• Emotionality: Physiological distress, tension, and nervousness are related to emotionality.

• Effects on Students: Worry has a stronger negative impact on academic performance than emotionality.

• Attention and Achievement: Worry continues throughout the test, affecting attention and test performance.

Multiple Choice

Which dimension of test anxiety has a stronger negative impact on academic performance?

• Worry

• Emotionality

• Both worry and emotionality

• Neither worry nor emotionality

Test Anxiety

Trivia: Worry is the dimension of test anxiety that has a stronger negative impact on academic performance. Test anxiety can lead to decreased concentration, memory problems, and poor performance. It is important to manage test anxiety through relaxation techniques and effective study strategies. Don't let worry hinder your success!

Understanding and Managing Anxiety

• Physiological symptoms: racing heart, sweaty palms, upset stomach

• Misdirected attention: problems with concentration or attention

• Inappropriate behaviors: common behaviors related to anxiety is

  PROCRASTINATION, quitting tasks before they're completed, answering test questions in a rush, talking to a friend when time is running out to complete an assignment.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are common physiological symptoms of anxiety?

• Racing heart

• Dry mouth

• Dilated pupils

• Upset stomach

Word Cloud

How do you deal with anxiety? describe it with one or 2 words

Anxiety Symptoms

Racing heart, dry mouth, dilated pupils, and upset stomach are common physiological symptoms of anxiety. These symptoms can occur during stressful situations and are part of the body's natural fight-or-flight response. It's important to recognize and manage these symptoms to maintain overall well-being.

Understanding and Managing Anxiety

Procrastination, quitting tasks, and rushing are common anxiety coping mechanisms. Test anxiety is a specific form of anxiety related to academic evaluation. It increases through grades and negatively affects academic performance. Higher anxiety in college leads to lower achievement. Educators are concerned about test anxiety and its impact on students' intellectual and academic abilities.

Multiple Choice

What is test anxiety?

• A form of anxiety related to academic evaluation

• A coping mechanism for procrastination

• A technique to improve academic performance

• A concern for educators

Test Anxiety:

A form of anxiety related to academic evaluation. It can cause symptoms like sweating, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty concentrating. Students can manage test anxiety by practicing relaxation techniques, creating a study schedule, and seeking support from teachers or counselors. Remember, you are more than your test scores!

​Mindfulness to relieve stress and anxiety

• Try simple breathing:

  Breathe in 1-2-3-4-5-6.

  Hold 1-2-3-4-5-6.

  Release 1-2-3-4-5-6. (Repeat 10 times)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJfYqWSAMCg