Understanding School Stress and Academic Anxiety

Sep 11

Between exams, expectations, and endless to-do lists, school can sometimes feel like too much. Whether you’re balancing classes, friendships, or big decisions about the future, stress and anxiety can easily build up. The good news? You can learn to manage them — and you don’t have to face them alone.

What’s Really Going On? Stress vs. Anxiety

Stress is your body’s natural response to a challenge — that burst of focus before a big test or competition. In small doses, it can help you perform. But when stress becomes constant, it can leave you irritable, overwhelmed, or even physically drained.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is more persistent. It’s the voice that keeps worrying long after the test is over. It can cause restlessness, racing thoughts, or trouble sleeping — even when nothing specific is “wrong.”

Common Sources of School-Related Stress

Academic Pressure: Grades, college goals, and deadlines can make every assignment feel like it “matters too much.”
Social Strain: Navigating friendships, peer expectations, or feeling like you don’t fit in can quietly wear you down.
Future Uncertainty: Wondering what comes after school — and whether you’ll be ready — can spark anxiety about the unknown.
Sleep Deprivation: Late nights and early mornings add up. Lack of sleep intensifies stress and makes it harder to cope.

Simple Ways to Manage Stress and Anxiety

1. Try the “3M” Reset: Mind, Movement, Mindfulness

Mind: Don’t hold everything in. Talk with a trusted friend, teacher, or counselor. Sometimes naming the problem out loud helps you start solving it. Writing in a journal can also help organize your thoughts.
Movement: Physical activity releases stress and clears your head. Even 15 minutes of walking, stretching, or dancing can reset your mood.
Mindfulness: When thoughts spiral, try square breathing — in for 4 counts, hold for 4, out for 4. It’s a simple tool to calm your body’s stress response.

2. Take Charge of Your Schedule

Break Big Tasks Down: Don’t tackle the entire project at once. Focus on one small step at a time.
Plan and Prioritize: Use a calendar or checklist to see what’s next instead of trying to remember everything.
Schedule Breaks: Your brain needs downtime. Short pauses between tasks actually improve focus and memory.

3. Take Care of Your Body

Get Enough Sleep: Aim for 8–10 hours. Turn screens off early to give your mind time to rest.
Eat to Refuel: Regular, balanced meals stabilize energy and mood.
Be Kind to Yourself: Nobody’s perfect. Celebrate progress and effort, not just results.

When to Reach Out for Extra Help

Sometimes stress and anxiety grow beyond what you can manage alone. If you’re struggling to go to school, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, or feeling constant tension or stomach aches — it might be time to talk to a professional.

Reaching out doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re taking your mental health seriously — and that’s a strength, not a flaw. Help is out there, and you don’t have to wait until things feel “bad enough” to ask for it.

Elisa Piercy, LPC, provides therapy for stress, anxiety, and insomnia — helping clients find steadier balance through evidence-based approaches like CBT and CBT-I. She offers sessions online and in-person for clients across Georgia. Click here to schedule a 15-min intro call.