What does academic anxiety look like?

Academic anxiety is a specific form of anxiety triggered by academic pressure like university work and deadlines and often a fear of failure. Research suggests that there are four ways in which academic anxiety can impact you; physiologically, cognitively, behaviourally and socially. A study by the American College Health Association in 2022 found that more than one in three pupils suffer from an anxiety disorder and similar levels, 35.1% of pupils reporting anxiety as impacting their academic performance. Other studies have shown levels of stress, anxiety and depression amongst the youth of today being far higher than ever before, therefore it is extremely important to recognise signs of academic stress and anxiety, both within yourself and amongst your peers. This article will explore the symptoms of academic anxiety, and suggest a few helpful recommendations to overcome, or reduce the impact of the symptoms. Although these tips may help I encourage you to reach out for support from friends, family, loved ones, from your university and professionals. It is important to note this isn’t a rigid list and you’re academic anxiety may present itself differently, which does not make it any less valid or you any less deserving of help and support!

What can academic anxiety look like?

1. Insomnia or disrupted sleeping patterns

Like most mental health conditions, academic anxiety often impacts your sleeping patterns and routine. This is particularly impactful as it can lead to a vicious cycle of not being able to perform at your best due to tiredness and exhaustion, causing you more stress and anxiety. Top Tip: establish a relaxing night routine with time away from screens and technology to allow your brain to unwind, use habits such as journaling, reading or listening to an audiobook/podcast, practising yoga or getting fresh air before bed to help create this.

2. Overthinking

Although it is very normal to worry over your academics during university, there is a difference between worrying and experiencing academic anxiety. Academic anxiety often leads people to question not just their ability to achieve certain grades, but to question their self-worth and ability as a whole. Top tip: Always talk to yourself, and about yourself, in a kind way and remember that your grades and academic ability do not define you or your worth. Make sure to communicate openly with those closest to you, and reflect on how deeply you value them as individuals, and apply the same to yourself. That is, you would never put your friends or family down for not achieving the marks or grades they wanted to because out of all the traits and characteristics you value about them, their ability to score highly in the academic world doesn’t even come into the picture! In terms of a practical tip I would recommend organising your studies,  everything from your notes to your deadlines and your feedback from your tutors as thoroughly as possible. This may help to remind you that you have a handle on everything and stops anything from sneaking up on you. Keeping a log of your feedback is particularly helpful to help you to progress and can be a nice way to remind yourself of the positive feedback you have received. Notion has lots of templates that may help you do this! It is also important to communicate with your tutors, particularly your personal and academic tutors, they can help support you with any specific concerns and make you feel reassured that you are more than capable of succeeding in your work.

3. Poor Concentration Span

If you have noticed your concentration span drop it may be due to putting too much pressure on yourself that your brain cannot focus. Lots of anxiety sufferers experience this and it can be particularly acute within academic anxiety because it is the very thing causing you so much worry, therefore it is easy to create a mental block against doing it. Top tip: Although there is no easy solution to this, start by grounding yourself and reminding yourself all you can do is your best. Even if you feel like you can only give 30% of your energy and attention on a certain day, that is 100% of what you have to give. Try and give yourself ample rest and relaxation time, and break your workload down into less overwhelming, more achievable chunks. Try to schedule and manage your time in order to ensure that you can always take some time out when things feel too much.

4. Withdrawing Socially

Turning down social occasions and spending the majority of your time studying can be a sign of academic anxiety and stress. In order to have positive mental health, you must balance your time and sometimes seeing friends and having fun is the most productive thing you can do. Top tip: Make sure to schedule time doing something you enjoy and with people you enjoy spending time with as often as you can. Although this may seem like a big commitment and a contrast to how you have been spending your time, you will see the benefits and start with a small goal like scheduling a social occasion or treat for yourself a few times a week. At university, spending time with your housemates or going to a society is a great way to break cycles of anxiety and stress.

5. Physiological Symptoms

These may include heart palpitations, nausea, headaches, nervous sweating, shortness of breath and possibly others. This can be really scary if you haven’t experienced physical symptoms of anxiety before and it’s important to take note of how your body is feeling, it is asking for a break! Top tip: Practising relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness or meditating, can be really useful to overcome this. To get started you could try apps such as Calm or Headspace. I also recommend taking yourself into a new environment once you begin to experience these sensations, this can help to calm your body down and allow yourself time to recover.

6. Losing Motivation

Often referred to as ‘burnout’, academic anxiety can often cause you to have reached such a buildup of stress and pressure that you can no longer continue working and studying. It is important to take stock of how you feel before reaching this point however, should you feel burnout talk to your university department and support systems to access deadline extensions and some time away from the academic sphere. Top tip: Take a break, spend some time resting and doing some hobbies you enjoy – even if you haven’t done them for a while it is really important to spend some time refilling yourself with happiness and peace before returning to any academic obligations. If you are able to take a trip home for a weekend can be really beneficial when the academic parts of university life are causing you to feel burnout. Remember, there is only so much you can achieve on your own, always ask for help and allow those around you to support you!