How to Be Ready for Anxiety at School

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Updated: September 9, 2018

Some degree of stress about school is normal. But if you're having frequent stress that makes it hard to do daily tasks or live a happy life, then you might be dealing with a real problem. Here is how to handle the issue and make school a less painful experience for you.

Part One of Three:
Building Healthy Habits

  1. 1
    Prepare for school early. Work on staying on top of your homework, and prepare for each day on the night before. This helps you go to sleep knowing that you've handled everything.
    • Clothes. Choose which clothes you're going to wear the night before. Hang them somewhere obvious, like on your closet door, so they're easy to grab.
    • Supplies. Look at your schedule to see which subjects you have the next day. Put any required books into your backpack. Check that you have each item you need, such as agenda, calculator, and homework folder.
    • Homework. Start your homework early, and track it in an agenda. This way you won't have last-minute stress when you forgot something or something happens. This will also help you avoid late nights when you have underestimated your homework.
  2. 2
    Break big tasks into smaller pieces. Avoidance can worsen your anxiety, so it helps to do something small right away. Break each task into pieces, and check them off as you complete them. You can also reward yourself, such as "I get one apple slice each time I read a textbook page" or "once my draft is done, I get to watch 2 episodes of my show."
    • For example, a list of tasks for an English essay could be: write an outline, write down important quotes with page numbers, write 1 body paragraph (3 times), write conclusion, write introduction, proofread, print and place in homework folder.
    • For a long reading, make a list of 5-page sections and check them off as you complete them.
  3. 3
    Keep a gratitude journal. Every night, write down two things that you're grateful for today. Let it become a habit. Studies have found again and again that thankful people are happier people, and experience less anxiety.
    • "I'm thankful that my little brother hugged me today and asked to play with me. I can tell he loves me very much."
    • "I'm thankful I spent so much time writing as a kid. I totally nailed that essay and it was awesome."
    • "I'm thankful that my mom took time to help me with my physics homework."
    • "I'm thankful for the warm, sunny weather there was today."
  4. 4
    Get outdoors. Spending time outside can help you feel more relaxed and energized. Try taking walks with loved ones, playing backyard sports, swimming, hiking, or biking. Even taking five minutes to walk around the block is better than not going outside at all.
  5. 5
    Work on self care. Your health is important, and taking good care of your body will place less stress on your mind. Get 8-10 hours of sleep, fill 1/3 of your plate with fruits and vegetables, and find little ways to get exercise. Taking care of your body won't make your problems go away, but it'll make you stronger so that you can deal with them better.
  6. 6
    Spend lots of time with people who make you happy. Help them with projects, snuggle, go places together, or just hang out. Spending time on people who make you feel relaxed will help you unwind.
  7. 7
    Schedule yourself free time. This may seem counterintuitive, but giving your brain a break will allow it to perform even better when you work. Planned relaxation will help your mental health. Try snuggling, knitting, reading, hanging out with loved ones, or working on your hobbies.
  8. 8
    Say no to perfectionism. If you struggle with perfectionistic tendencies, then every assignment can be a source of serious anxiety. Work on being okay with doing a good job instead of a perfect job. You're allowed to be human.
    • You don't need to put in 100% effort, all the time. That isn't healthy. Putting in lots of effort most of the time is good enough. "Doing your best" does not mean "working so hard that you become a sleep-deprived and/or sobbing wreck."
    • There is nothing wrong with getting a "bad" grade every so often. As long as you keep studying and trying hard, it will likely balance out. Forgive yourself for doing poorly, and just keep doing the best you can.
    • A bad rough draft is better than a perfectly blank paper. Start your homework, even if it's bad at first. You will have time to edit and revise. Make something bad first, and let it be bad. Make it hilariously awful if you want! Then take a break, and make it beautiful later.
  9. 9
    Search the internet for tips from other people who struggle with anxiety. People with anxiety disorders often congregate in disability/mental illness communities, such as mental health websites or the recovery community on Tumblr. You can ask them for advice, read the resources they write, and support each other.
  10. 10
    Talk about your struggles. Try to talk with a specialist (like a psychologist or school counselor) about it and search for some helping tricks. You could also talk about it with a friend or just write about it in a diary. Having someone act as a sounding board, or simply being able to vent, will help keep the thoughts from consuming you. Also, you can find out what makes you panic and what makes you relax.

Part Two of Three:
Making Changes

  1. 1
    Cut out toxic influences in your life. If there's a single thing that is causing you a lot of stress, see if you can minimize or eliminate its impact on your life. You don't have to put up with awful things. There may be a way to get rid of it, or at least make it smaller.
    • Stop hanging out with a friend who makes mean comments.
    • Take fewer difficult classes if the difficulty or homework load is overwhelming you.
    • Talk to a guidance counselor, or other adult, about a school bully.
  2. 2
    Talk to your family about what you're going through. If they aren't aware of your anxiety problems, it may be time to talk to them. Explain what you're going through and how it affects your school performance or home life. Talking about your feelings gives them the option to support you.
    • If you think it might be hard, try going to the school guidance counselor and asking them to help you.
    • Not all parents and guardians are understanding. If you have mean or abusive family members, they might refuse to take you seriously. That doesn't mean your problems aren't real or serious.
  3. 3
    Talk to a doctor about treating your anxiety. Ask your family for an appointment, or bring it up during your next check-up. Tell your doctor how your anxiety is impacting your life, and ask for help dealing with it.
    • Your doctor may refer you to a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders, and can teach you ways to handle your anxiety.
    • Medication may be an option, depending upon your age. Some doctors are hesitant to prescribe to teens, who are still growing, unless the problem is severe. Ask your doctor about what might be right for you.
  4. 4
    Request disability accommodations at school. If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you have a documented disability and can receive help. This may include extended time on tests, flexibility with due dates, or allowance of extra absences due to frequent illness. Accommodations are required of many schools, and will help you get the equal access you deserve.

Part Three of Three:
Handling Anxiety Now

  1. 1
    Identify your feelings. Are you nervous, worried, stressed, on edge? Why do you feel this way? Understanding your feelings and labeling them is the first step in handling them.
  2. 2
    Try relaxation techniques. These will help you focus on something besides your worries—either something physical or something imaginary. Tell yourself that the next five minutes are for relaxation only, and you can do something after that.
    • Count, or recite multiplication tables in your head.
    • Focus on your senses and what's around you. Describe it to yourself in your head.
    • Do breathing exercises.
    • Imagine a nature scene in your head. Build the details into the nicest place you can.
  3. 3
    Use a comfort object or favorite fidget toy. Toys such as tangles, stress balls, or tiny stuffed animals may be relaxing to you. Try manipulating a toy in one hand while you write with the other.
    • If your teacher asks, explain that it helps you focus. As long as your toy is not disruptive (i.e., silent and fairly discreet) it should be allowed.
    • Vitamin drops, hard candies, and gum (if allowed) can provide a similar relaxing effect.
  4. 4
    Try a relaxation app. There are free apps available to guide you through relaxation exercises and manage your feelings.
    • Try a chatbot that talks things through with you, like Wysa.
  5. 5
    Be cautious about hiding from your problems. Delaying anxiety won't make it go away. Watching random videos or distracting yourself with a game may calm you down in the moment, but the anxiety will still be there under the surface. You need to do something productive, either to lessen the thing that is causing your anxiety, or to counteract anxiety symptoms.
    • If you do a distraction, commit yourself to doing something to face your problem afterwards. For example, "After I watch this cat video, I will do 5 math problems."
  6. 6
    Take one small step to fight whatever problem you're afraid of. If you're scared of an essay, write two sentences of it. If you're worried about your grade in your Java class, work on a program or study code a little. Sometimes, the act of doing something (even something small) can greatly relieve your anxiety. Say to yourself, "There, brain! I did something. Now be quiet!"

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What if your teacher pulls your group out of the class to talk in private, and your stomach starts hurting, and you feel awful?
    Community Answer
    • Try saying "I'm really stressed and my stomach hurts." Your teacher may reassure you that you're not in trouble. If needed, ask to go to the school nurse. Try some breathing exercises, and try to figure out what you are so afraid of. Stomachaches caused by stress (and "feeling awful") are usually a sign that you have an anxiety disorder, and it would be good to talk to a doctor about this.
    Thanks! 7 0
  • Question
    I get anxious during tests and I am afraid to write down an answer. How can I get over it?
    Community Answer
    • The best way to battle anxiety with tests is to gain confidence by studying. If you know that you studied to the best of your ability, all you can do is trust yourself that you know the content and write it down. It is always better to write down an answer than to not write down anything at all. Even as long as you try to answer to the best of your capability, there is still a chance that you will get a mark for it than to leave it blank and get zero for it.
    Thanks! 5 0
  • Question
    I am always told to just participate in PE, but I just freeze. I suffer from social anxiety but the teacher doesn't understand. How do I overcome it? I only have 2 friends in PE.
    Community Answer
    • Get the teacher outside of class and explain the problem. If a teacher is doing their job right, they'll help you through the class as much as you need. Talk to your parents too - they can bring it up at the next parent-teacher conference. A guidance counselor would be another resource in this situation, they're trained to mediate difficulties between teachers and students and help with issues like this.
    Thanks! 5 2
Ask a Question
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  • Don't just keep walking around with it if the anxiety stays or gets worse over a longer period of time (when it stays longer than a month and grows, you should do something) and get help! Anxiety is not healthy if it gets you sick or stays for a long time.
    1 Helpful?  0


  • Talk to your school guidance counselor or your general doctor if you think your anxiety might be disordered (i.e., if it keeps interfering with your life). If you took the time to seek out this article, there's a fair chance that you could benefit from telling a doctor.
    3 Helpful?  3
  • Don't hide your anxiety from your family. You may be facing a legitimate, treatable medical condition. You deserve to get help, and you are not being a burden to your parents. Most parents would rather pay a little extra to have a happy child, rather than not buy pills/therapy and have an anxious and unhealthy child.
    0 Helpful?  2

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2 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: September 9, 2018
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