4 Ways Anxiety Affects School Performance

We are quickly approaching the new school year. It's hard to believe that summer has gone by so quickly. Students and parents are making their last preparations to gear up for another year of homework, tests, projects, sports, and other after-school activities.

As a parent, it's hard to imagine that children have much to be anxious about. We don't think about all of the different ways anxiety can impact children or teenagers. Unfortunately, many youths worldwide are dealing with anxiety, especially after the pandemic.

Anxiety can impact children in many ways in their personal or home life. Furthermore, it can also affect them at school. Here are four ways that anxiety affects school performance.

Anxiety and the Connection To School Performance

1. Difficulty Focusing

Anxiety, regardless of age, can impact the ability to concentrate properly. Children and teenagers are just as susceptible to concentration issues as adults are at work.

When children are dealing with anxiety, it causes them to have a negative cycle of thoughts. As they try to focus on their school work or activity, intrusive thoughts stay at the forefront of their mind. Instead of being able to focus on the task at hand, their thoughts become centered around their anxious thoughts.

"What if I mess this up?"

"I don't understand this assignment. What if it causes me to fail the test?"

"I'm going to let my teammates down if I don't practice or do good enough."

2. Memory Problems

Let's face it, children and teens sometimes don't have the best memory recall. Much of that is just because their brains are still developing and learning. However, anxiety makes this even worse.

It's not clear why anxiety has such a significant impact on memory for any person. Studies suggest that it's because of the changes in the brain by chemicals released when high-stress levels are present.

For students, not remembering details about the subjects they are studying can cause significant problems with their grades. It can be frustrating for them because they know they learned about it. Their memory just becomes hazy!

3. "I Don't Want To Go!"

It's normal for most kids not to want to go to school. After all, they just want to be home, relax, and hang out. However, those with anxiety may want to skip school or activities more frequently.

Do you notice your child complaining about headaches or stomach aches often? While you might initially think they are just making an excuse, you should give it more thought. Headaches and stomach aches are classic symptoms of anxiety, after all.

Additionally, having anxiety makes most people want to avoid things that are unpleasant or cause them to feel nervous. If they feel anxious during school hours, whatever the cause may be, it's only natural that they want to avoid it.

4. They Won't Want To Ask For Help

Anxiety impacts children and school performance because they might not want to reach out for help. They might not even understand that they are experiencing anxiety, especially if they are younger or in elementary school. Feeling uncomfortable about seeking help only worsens their anxiety symptoms over time. Naturally, this can have even more consequences on their school performance.

Anxiety is hard to detect, especially in children and teens. During the early stages of anxiety, it won't always impact them every single day. This causes caregivers to assume that it is a bad day or an off day.

However, if you notice that your child or teen is having frequent issues with school or sports, it's important to reach out for help sooner rather than later. Anxiety is a very manageable mental health condition, and there are natural ways to help children and teens. Let's talk soon about how we can help you help them with anxiety therapy.