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

Useful further information

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?

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