---
title: "Anxiety"
url: "https://www.saint-michaels.com/anxiety"
school: "St Michael's CE High School"
---

# Anxiety

![](https://www.saint-michaels.com/images/images/anx.jpg)

**Understanding Anxiety**

Anxiety is something that everyone experiences from time to time. It is a natural response that helps us recognise and respond to situations we find challenging, stressful or unfamiliar. While feelings of anxiety can be mild and short-lived, they can sometimes feel overwhelming and have a significant impact on a young person's daily life.

When we feel anxious, our brain activates its built-in alarm system. This is designed to keep us safe by making us more alert and ready to respond to potential challenges or threats. As a result, young people may experience a range of physical and emotional responses, such as feeling worried, restless, finding it difficult to concentrate, or noticing physical symptoms such as a racing heart or feeling sick.

Many young people experience anxiety at certain times, such as when starting a new school year, managing friendships, speaking in front of others or preparing for exams. In most cases, these feelings pass once the situation has been resolved. However, when feelings of anxiety persist, occur frequently, or begin to affect attendance, learning, relationships or everyday activities, additional support may be helpful.

**Signs a Young Person May Be Experiencing Anxiety at Home**

A young person experiencing anxiety may:

- become upset or distressed in the mornings and express reluctance about attending school;
- spend excessive amounts of time on schoolwork or worry that their work is not good enough despite reassurance;
- report headaches, stomach aches, nausea or other physical symptoms without an obvious medical cause;
- seek frequent reassurance from parents, carers or other trusted adults;
- appear more irritable, frustrated or emotionally sensitive than usual;
- have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep;
- worry excessively about appearance, friendships or social situations, and become reluctant to attend social events.

It is important to remember that anxiety can look different for every young person. Some pupils may openly express their worries, while others may appear to be coping well in school but still be experiencing significant anxiety internally. We regularly hear comments such as “they seem fine in lessons”, however anxiety is often hidden and may not always be visible to staff, parents or peers. Early understanding and support can make a positive difference.

![What is anxiety, and how do we manage it?](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/da4dbf_306742926543412ea47661c422b4189b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_980,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/da4dbf_306742926543412ea47661c422b4189b~mv2.png)

| **Helpful Resources:** |
|---|
| Young Minds | [www.youngminds.org.uk](http://www.youngminds.org.uk/) |
| Anxiety UK | [www.anxietyuk.org.uk](http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk)  Telephone: 0344 477 5774  Text: 0753 741 6905 |
| No Panic | [www.nopanic.org.uk](http://www.nopanic.org.uk/)  Telephone: 0300 772 9844  Youth Helpline: 0330 606 1174 |
| CBT Online | www.getselfhelp.co.uk |
| Soluna by Kooth | www.solunaapp.com/uk |
| Anna Freud | www.annafreud.org |
| Headspace | Search for "Headspace" on your phone app store |
| Shout | www.giveusashout.org |
| Healthy Young Minds | www.healthyyoungmindslsc.org.uk |
| STEM 4 | www.stem4.org.uk |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing Helpline | www.lscft.nhs.uk/mental-health-helpline |
| Lancashire Youth Zone | www.lancashire.gov.uk/youthzone |

**Need Further Help or Advice?**

If you are concerned about your child’s wellbeing or would like further information, advice or support, please do not hesitate to contact school. We encourage parents and carers to get in touch via Contact Gateway and ask to speak to your child's Tutor in the first instance. Where appropriate, your enquiry may be directed to your child's Pupil Manager or a member of our Wellbeing Team, who will be happy to offer guidance, discuss available support and help identify any next steps.

We recognise that every young person's situation is unique, and early communication between home and school can often make a significant difference. We are here to work alongside families to ensure that pupils feel supported, understood and able to access the help they need.

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