The beginning of a school year brings back not only the joy of seeing your college friends, listening to your favorite professors, and learning subjects you like. It also brings back a lot of stress and anxiety, as it comes with such things as deadlines, tests, homework, assignments, poor grades, course load, being away from home. The academic environment is performance focused by nature and as a consequence highly competitive. If we add the fact that university years are the time when young people have to make life-affecting decisions, anxiety looks pretty inevitable.
Anxiety typically involves a fear of a perceived threat, accompanied by physical reactions and avoidance behaviors. Performance anxiety is no different, but it manifests specifically in test or competition environments. The good news is that you don’t need to eliminate it completely, since being in the optimal stress and anxiety zone allows you to mobilize the energy, feel mobilized, achieve goals, and succeed. But what can you do do if your anxiety goes beyond the optimal zone? Here are some tips.
Work on negative thoughts
A person who lives in anticipation of negative events may develop persistent thoughts such as: “I’m going to fail, I’m so dumb”, “I’ll be the worst in my class”, “I’m ridiculous”, etc. Theis self-critical inner voice influences how we feel about ourselves. When you notice such thoughts, don’t fight with them but let them float away. Then shift your attention to the present moment: instead of “predicting” catastrophic future, ask yourself what can be done right now. Future is not under your control but the choice that you make here and now is.
Approach, don't avoid
Even though on a physiological level it feels natural to avoid stressors, avoidance can quickly become counterproductive. Skipping classes, staying late in bed, postponing study time, and other avoidance or procrastinating behaviors only worsen our emotional condition. The best way to outwit anxiety is to approach stress-provoking situations. Allow yourself to take small steps. Worried about presentation? Practice in front of the mirror, with a close friend, in the empty classroom, with a small group of supportive classmates before delivering to the entire class.
Learn to study more effectively
The idea of studying how to study may look counterintuitive but in fact we often limit ourselves with the usual learning habits, while there are a lot of other useful tactics that might help. Study with your friends, study while moving, record yourself and listen to the material afterwards, read aloud, make graphs, give yourself tests, etc. Be creative! It may be helpful to recognise your learning style: visual, audial, or kinesthetic, and use the relevant strategies. But regardless of a specific tactic or strategy, always take the time to focus. Recent research shows that multitasking is not efficient and often leads to mistakes. Focus on one subject at a time and cut back on time wasters, including distractions such as phone notifications.
Practice self-care
Having a healthy lifestyle is not typically associated with university students. Young people, especially when they are far from home, often struggle to maintain good eating habits, consistent exercise, and regular sleep schedule. It is perfectly understandable, but the problem is that lack of self-care is not helping to cope with stress and anxiety. Try to establish a self-care routine – keep decent wake-up time, limit alcohol, go to the gym, etc. Relaxing activities, such as breathing meditations, listening to music, drawing, walking, or running, are also important for regulating your mood.
Find resources on or around the campus
Many universities have their own resources to help students manage academic anxiety. You can also investigate resources around the campus that support student mental health. Seeking counseling is a sign of strength, not weakness. You may find it useful to establish a relationship with a psychotherapist and work on your personal and academic goals with professional support. Feeling overwhelmed is very common and no one is immune from stress.
