COPING WITH ANXIETY

BACKGROUND INFORMATION  As young adolescents, students are coping with a number of changes that may cause you to feel anxious. This unit presents five different techniques that can help students cope successfully with stress and anxiety.

INTRODUCTION  We are going to talk about what it means to feel nervous or anxious, the kinds of situations that tend to make people feel anxious, and some of the things that can be done to help people cope with these feelings. They will review the methods of dealing with anxiety that were covered in Level 1 and learn about two more techniques that you can use.

WHAT IS ANXIETY? Anxiety is feeling nervous, uptight, uneasy, or apprehensive Turn to a partner and come up with 2 physical effects of anxiety

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ANXIETY  Increase in heart rate  Increase in blood pressure  Sweating  Tightening up of muscles  Twitching  Tremors

SITUATIONS WHICH CAUSE ANXIETY Home __________________ School __________________ Friends __________________ Record these on Page 30

POINTS TO MAKE  Anxiety is NORMAL  Psychologist have found that most people feel anxious when they are afraid they won't do well in a particular situation  It is important to keep in mind that the consequences of not doing well in most normal situations are considerably less severe than what most people imagine.

POINTS TO MAKE  Psychologist who study stress and anxiety have found that most people feel anxious when they are afraid they wont do well in a particular situation, causing other people to think less of them. What people are most afraid of is that other people will laugh at or make fun of them.  It is important to keep in mind that the consequences of not doing well in most normal situations are considerably less severe than what most people imagine. For example, one poor grade on a math test doesn’t mean that you will fail the class.

COPING WITH ANXIETY

POINTS TO MAKE  Anxiety-reducing techniques can be used in different ways. Some can be used to reduce anxiety before a stressful situation is about to take place. Other techniques may be used either immediately before or during the situation.  Taking the time to practice these techniques regularly helps to reduce our feelings of stress and makes it easier to use them when in an anxiety- producing situation.

POINTS TO MAKE  The best way for students to overcome difficult situations is to practice the techniques and gradually place yourself in situations that make you nervous-starting with the least difficult situation and then working up to more difficult ones.