7 strategies to manage anxiety

Based on the work of Dr Jenn Cooper at Glasgow Caledonian University, psychotherapist, Ben Amponsah outlines 7 key strategies to help teachers and education staff to manage anxiety during the coronavirus crisis. Watch this short video and download our Coronavirus Anxiety Self-Help Survival Guide (pdf).

Here is quick summary of his 7 strategies for you to print out and reference.

1. Manage your worries

Everyone is experiencing worries. Teachers have specific worries such as the current anxiety about when schools will be reopening, worries about vulnerable students and how to teach remotely.  

• Writing down your worries can help them become more manageable and  less overwhelming
• Analyse the evidence for and against the worry
• Do some problem solving to help decide what you are going to do about it
• Allocate, and boundary, specific worry time so that you don’t worry throughout the day
• Get enough sleep and ensure you have good sleep habits

2. Manage your information

The amount of news and information available currently is overwhelming:

• Choose your sources carefully and ensure that they are trustworthy and reliable
• Allocate a time for catching up with news and information, rather than reviewing a constant drip feed
• Limit the amount of time spent on news

3. Communication with friends and family

• Limit the conversations or contact with people that make you more anxious
• Let close friends or family know if things that they do make you feel anxious
• Limit your consumption of social media, unfollow or mute people or groups that make you more anxious 
• Talk things through with trusted friends and loved ones, tell them how you are feeling regularly

4. Shift your perspective

• Everything feels a bit bleak at the moment and it is easy to start to catastrophize (think the worst case possible)
• Analyse negative thinking patterns
• Identify positive things that have happened today to balance the negative thinking e.g. keep a gratitude diary

5. Establish a routine to beat isolation and loneliness

The education profession is highly social and so in lockdown you may be particularly affected by the loss of connection with colleagues and students:

• Get a routine to avoid bad habits and boredom which can increase anxiety and affect your mental health
• Get up, get dressed and eat regularly
• Schedule your day
• Keep contact with friends and relatives regularly
• Keep active and exercise regularly
• Do something you never had time for before e.g. writing, gardening, photography etc

6. Manage relationships

• Relationships during lockdown will be challenging so acknowledge this
• Plan family meetings
• Anticipate conflict and agree how to manage it
• Have a routine and structure for kids
• Be honest with kids about what is going on and how you are feeling
• Schedule screen time
• Occupy kids and get their input on what activities they want to do

7. Accept uncertainty

• Reducing the need for certainty will reduce your worries. It is an uncertain world we live in all the time not just during this crisis.
• It is ok to feel sad at the loss of your normal life and social interactions
• It is ok to feel angry that you cannot see friends and family
• Realising that your feelings are normal will help you accept them

Next steps

• Download our Coronavirus Anxiety Self-Help Survival Guide (pdf)
• Download our 7 strategies to manage anxiety for teachers and education staff infographic

Useful further information

• NHS Every Mind Matters -  top tips to cope with anxiety
• Mind - self-care for anxiety and panic attacks 
• Video from psychologist on ways of dealing with anxiety and ‘panic in a pandemic’
• British Psychological Society - how to talk to children of different age groups 

How we can help 

Teachers and education staff, in schools, colleges and universities, who are feeling stressed or anxious during these uncertain times can get confidential emotional support from our free and confidential helpline: 08000 562561.

What can you do?

If you’re in a position to help others in these extraordinary times, please consider making a donation so that we can continue to answer the increasing number of desperate calls and grants applications we are receiving. Thank you so much.