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How educators can support students with anxiety

Published on

Sep 27th, 2025

Reviewed on

Sep 29th, 2025

Updated on

Sep 29th, 2025

Written by

Talkspace

Reviewed by

Laura Magnuson, MA, MS, LAMFT, VP of Clinical Engagement

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health conditions students face today. Research by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that around 11% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with anxiety. For educators, it’s a challenge that has surged over the past decade.

Learning how to help students with depression and anxiety is a chance to make a lasting impact. You play a critical role in creating a healthy and positive environment, where every student can learn and thrive. Here, we’re sharing how to recognize anxiety in children. Support can be academic or emotional, and even minor changes can make a big difference.

Recognizing anxiety in students

The first step in helping students with anxiety in the classroom is being able to recognize the signs. The first step in supporting students with anxiety in the classroom is recognizing the signs. Anxiety disorders can show up in many ways and may look different for each child or teen.

Common behavioral signs include:

Frequent absences or tardiness
Difficulty concentrating or staying on task
Increased irritability or mood swings
Perfectionism or fear of making mistakes
Avoidance of participation in class or activities
Withdrawing from group activities or acting out when overwhelmed

Physical symptoms may include:

Headaches or stomachaches
Sudden requests to see the school nurse
Other stress-related complaints

Occasional nervousness is normal, especially before big tests or presentations, but ongoing stress that disrupts learning or relationships may signal a deeper issue.

If you notice these patterns, it’s worth checking in with students to offer support or connect them with additional resources.

15 ways to help students with anxiety

While accommodations are often necessary and can be beneficial, supporting students with anxiety goes far beyond that. From clear routines to safer relationships, many strategies can help, inside and outside the classroom.

1. Give clear instructions and expectations

Anxiety disorders can make following instructions difficult for students, and research shows that they negatively impact academic performance. Clarifying instructions and expectations reduces stress and improves performance. Knowing they can trust the directions they’re given will reduce anxiety in most students.

Ways to improve instructions and expectations:

Offer written instructions in addition to verbal explanations
Create predictable routines
Give gentle reminders about upcoming due dates and assessments
Preview changes in advance to prepare students for transitions
Explain classroom expectations step-by-step

2. Break assignments into smaller steps

When students are overwhelmed, breaking down assignments can be key to helping them manage anxiety. Large tasks can be a big cause of stress in students, so offering timelines that prioritize progress over perfection allows students to build confidence, even when they’re facing challenging tasks.

Ways to make learning more manageable:

Teach students to approach tasks one step at a time
Show how mini deadlines can keep students on track
Encourage milestones and checkpoints
Use visual organizers
Build in reflections and opportunities for feedback throughout the process
Try to use collaborative projects

3. Offer tutoring or extra help

One of the simplest ways teachers can help children with anxiety is by offering a little extra help. Before-school, after-school, or weekend tutoring can make a big difference. Additional academic support does more than just help a student get good grades. It can be a safe place for them to ask questions, get essential feedback, and learn at a pace that works for them.

Some powerful ways to offer help may include:

Offering after-school study groups
Providing lunchtime tutoring sessions
Creating peer mentoring groups
Running after-school or weekend workshops
Launching a virtual tutoring program
Starting drop-in homework help centers
Connecting them with the school counselor

^{EXPERT INSIGHTS
There is not one accommodation that fits every student with anxiety. It’s important to have an understanding if there is a specific anxiety like public speaking, test anxiety, social anxiety or if the student experiences general anxiety. After having a better understanding of the student’s challenges then an accommodation can be made.}_{- Laura Magnuson, MA, MS, LAMFT, VP of Clinical Engagement}

4. Allow flexible deadlines when possible

Rigid deadlines can heighten stress for students who struggle with anxiety. Fortunately, this is something that’s easier to deal with. Especially if a student’s distress is preventing them from making progress or completing tasks on time, offering flexible timelines with assignments or exams can help. Having compassion doesn’t mean lowering standards. It’s about setting students up for success.

Ways to incorporate flexible deadlines:

Build grace periods into assignments
Offer a confidential way for students to request extensions
Assign tasks with flexible submission windows (but provide suggested or final dates)
Have two-tier deadlines to track progress (use the first for feedback and the second for final grades)
Check in with students often to monitor progress

5. Track and celebrate student progress

Educators should use positive reinforcement with every student, but it becomes even more essential when dealing with anxiety symptoms. Tracking and celebrating progress reminds students that even small wins matter. Celebrating effort as well as results helps students learn to view mistakes as part of the learning process.

Some positive ways to track and celebrate progress include:

Implementing checklists so students can mark completed tasks and feel a sense of accomplishment
Offering regular verbal praise to acknowledge effort and improvement
Having students keep reflection journals to document their progress and achievements
Creating a leaderboard or wall of achievements in your classroom
Setting personalized SMART goals and frequently reviewing progress
Using digital platforms and apps that offer real-time feedback and gamify tasks

6. Teach calming strategies & model healthy coping skills

By modeling calming techniques like self-soothing skills, you can show students how to regulate their emotions. You can teach these skills to the whole class, in small groups, or one-on-one.

Consider modeling and teaching healthy coping skills like:

Breathing exercises for anxiety
Mindfulness
Grounding techniques for anxiety (name five things you see or feel)
Affirmations for anxiety
Journaling for anxiety

^{EXPERT INSIGHTS
The best calming strategy is the one that works best for the student and can be done anywhere at any time. Pairing breathing exercises with positive affirmations may work for one student where grounding works for another. It is a matter of exposing students to different techniques until they find one that works for them.}_{- Laura Magnuson, MA, MS, LAMFT, VP of Clinical Engagement}

7. Check in with students daily

You might be surprised how powerful a simple “How are you today?” can be for a student with anxiety. Regular check-ins help keep students’ emotional well-being front and center in your classroom. Even a brief conversation can be one of the most effective ways a teacher can help students with anxiety.

You can check in with students through:

Morning check-ins as students enter your room
Digital, anonymous surveys
Quick one-on-one chats
Classroom routines
Exit tickets with election questions, like “How was your day today?”
A board with sticky notes that allows students to post their mood daily
Having a “student of the day” who shares a challenge and how they overcame it

8. Validate feelings without judgment

As a teacher, you must go beyond simply noticing signs of anxiety. Help students name their feelings so they can learn to cope with them. One way to start is by being mindful of your reactions. Validating students’ feelings goes a long way. It helps them—and you—work toward solutions without shame.

You can validate a student’s feelings by:

Using gentle and reflective language, such as “It sounds like you’re feeling anxious, and that’s OK. Do you want to talk about it?”
Using active listening
Paraphrasing students’ feelings so they feel heard
Not rushing to fix the problem—listening without judgment can often be enough
Fostering open communication with “I” statements to express feelings
Reassuring students that feelings are valid, normal, and real
Connecting with students by sharing similar experiences or feelings (when appropriate)

9. Create a predictable and safe classroom environment

Schedules and predictability can help soothe a student’s anxious mind. Make routines and rules known. If a change is coming, preview it ahead of time whenever possible. This creates a calmer classroom for everyone.

You can create a more predictable and safe classroom environment by:

Making clear, consistent daily routines known
Prominently posting visual schedules around your room
Using transition cues like songs, timers, or verbal warnings to signal changes without adding stress
Alerting students of upcoming changes ahead of time (like a substitute teacher, an upcoming field trip, or a change in the daily schedule)
Keeping your classroom’s rules simple and clear
Introducing and practice calming rituals like morning greetings and end-of-day reflections
Promoting positive, respectful relationships to create an empathetic classroom climate

10. Foster peer support and collaboration

Students learn from their peers. Group projects, buddy systems, and peer mentors help prevent students from feeling isolated. Building camaraderie in your classroom makes it easier for students to ask for help. Research suggests that while stress and anxiety are sometimes unavoidable, a supportive community of friends can reduce anxiety and increase feelings of student belonging.

11. Provide quiet spaces for breaks

Even a short break can do wonders for a student who needs a reset. Providing space for students to step away gives them a chance to manage emotions in healthy ways. Having quiet areas around schools is a simple but very effective way to help students with anxiety in the classroom, but you might also consider:

Dimming lights
Creating “calming zones”
Allowing kids to have flexible seating—bean bags, yoga balls, and standing desks are all great options
Proactively giving students a “take-a-break” pass or any “anytime” pass
Normalizing the need to leave stressful situations without worrying about stigma

12. Reduce overstimulation in the classroom environment

Being overstimulated amplifies anxiety for a lot of students. Noise, bright lights, clutter, and crowds can trigger sensory overload and anxious thoughts. A calmer classroom benefits everyone, especially students who are more sensitive to noise and clutter.

Some ways to reduce overstimulation in the classroom include:

Reducing excessive stimuli
Keeping materials organized
Offering earplugs
Providing stress balls and other sensory tools like fidget toys
Having a quiet area that limits distractions and is away from windows and doors
Laying down rugs, carpets, or soft materials to absorb noise
Keeping wall decor and visual aids minimal and purposeful
Using soft lighting

13. Limit high-pressure situations when possible

Surprise performances or high-stakes tests can send some students’ anxiety through the roof. When possible, offer alternative ways to show mastery. This lets anxious students opt out of public speaking or single high-stakes tests.

Start by:

Using portfolios so students can compile work over time
Giving multiple low-stakes quizzes instead of one high-stakes test
Offering the opportunity to do oral presentations or video projects as alternatives to traditional tests
Using student-led conferences to set goals and reflect on achievement
Offering group projects and track participation for students who struggle with test-taking
Breaking down large exams into shorter sections with breaks in between
Letting students choose when they want to take their tests
Offering extended time
Allowing opportunities for retakes or revisions

14. Encourage organizational tools

Planners, checklists, and time-management apps help students work without anxiety getting in the way. Good time management is beneficial for students who struggle with organization. It provides structure and can ease anxiety.

Some organizational tools and strategies designed to reduce anxiety include:

Digital planners and calendar apps (Google Calendar or Any.do)
Physical planners or bullet journals
Checklist for assignments and daily routines
The Pomodoro Method or other time-blocking strategies
Notifications that keep students on schedule
Color-coding to track subjects, deadlines, and priorities
Keeping workspaces decluttered to reduce distractions

15. Use positive reinforcement to build confidence

Studies show positive reinforcement helps students focus on tasks 30% more. It also boosts confidence and resilience, especially in anxious learners. Shift the focus away from outcomes and instead reward growth, creativity, and effort.

You can build confidence in students by:

Offering praise to acknowledge effort and growth
Using tangible reward systems like stickers or certificates
Publicly recognizing improvements and achievements
Encouraging self-reflection so students can internalize success and build confidence
Letting students set their own personal goals and celebrate their milestones when they achieve them

Partner with Talkspace for student mental health support

Small changes like these can make a big difference in alleviating stress for students with anxiety. They’re an essential first step, but sometimes more support and professional treatment are needed. Talkspace connects students with licensed mental health professionals so they have access to stigma-free care, bridging the gap between home and school. Partnering with Talkspace strengthens your school’s network of care, helping students get therapeutic support so school staff can focus more on learning and inclusion.

With your support and access to mental health services, students can thrive academically and emotionally, so they can face challenges with more confidence and less anxiety. Request a demo to learn how Talkspace supports schools with therapy for students.

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