Anxiety: When to worry and what to do

First things first – we need to understand that anxiety is a perfectly natural response of our bodies and minds that can keep us safe and help us perform at our best.

If we needed to run from a grizzly bear, or over-power an attacker, or win a race, or perform to our best through an entire three-hour exam, we’d struggle without a good dose of anxiety. But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, and this is something that many pupils are struggling with.

Anxiety can take many forms – you may find pupils becoming more isolated, becoming disproportionately sensitive to feedback or seeming on edge. Less obvious, but common, signs are tiredness (it takes a lot of energy to be anxious for extended periods), irritability (we’re less well able to emotionally regulate when our brain is overrun with anxious thoughts), and a change in attendance or time-keeping.