Anxious times for students - Youthline

Anxious times for students

With exam season here, leading Youth Development Organisation, Youthline is urging students to take care of themselves and reach out if things get too much.

Youthline Clinical Services Manager, Glenda Schnell says exam anxiety is common.

"It's natural to feel anxious and nervous at this time of year, and the pressure and stress affects people in different ways.

Feeling more irritable, emotional and tired are just a few of the ways people can be affected leading up to exam season. "

Glenda Schnell says it's crucial for students to take care of themselves.

"To help stay on top of things it is important to balance the work with self-care- get some fresh air, take regular breaks, eat healthily and make sure you allow yourself some leisure time."

A recent nationwide study of 1000 students found that just over 40 percent of students have suffered from phobias or an anxiety disorder at some point Glenda Schnell says there are varying degrees of anxiety.

"Simply feeling a bit bogged down is quite different to having an anxiety disorder - a disorder is typically something quite severe that negatively affects your life on a daily basis.

If you think you may have an anxiety disorder it is crucial that you reach out to someone - research suggests that non-productive anxiety can have potentially detrimental effects in later life, so it's always best to get help early on."

Youthline run a group called Engage which is an anxiety drop in group for over 18's - it is run monthly and participants share in a chat session format to give and receive support with people who understand what it is like.

"There is no one size fits all when it comes to anxiety - but there are ways of dealing with it and the Engage group can be a very effective way of getting help."

Youthline also encourages people who are feeling the effects of anxiety or stress to make contact - even if they don't fit the 'disorder' criteria.

"Youthline is here to help everyone; you may just need a listening ear or some strategies you can use to cope under exam pressure. The main thing is - talk it out, you will feel much better for it." For more information please contact Glenda Schnell - Mob: 021 673 202

To find out more about engage visit: http://www.engagenzco.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media