Winter break is coming to a close and another semester of restrictions, facemasks, and so many unknowns is here again. Granted, at least classes are still in-person and students’ zoom time has been cut back…at least for now.

So why are students so anxious? All of us have a radar system that helps us evaluate threats in our environment. When our radar system doesn’t turn off like it’s supposed to, that’s what we refer to as anxiety. The threats college students face are simple but profound. There are fewer social opportunities, fears of getting sick and the insecurity of classes moving between online and in-person. Friends are also polarized like never before. Politics, vaccinations, masks have become topics that split dorm rooms and fraternities into domestic tribes. 

Here are some actionable, evidence-based behaviors college students can use to lower anxiety. 

Breathing: Breath exercises work. The simplest version is inhaling through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Do ten breaths slowly and without distraction (turn your phone off) and you will start to lower the arousal brain chemistry. The more you practice this, the easier and more effective it becomes.

Exercise: Again, super simple – move 30 minutes per day. Walking, running, weight lifting – doesn’t really matter for our purposes. The important thing is to be active. Activity increases prefrontal cortex (executive function) which increases control over your amygdala (anxiety/fear). 

Routine: Anxiety is fear of something or not happening. When we turn behaviors into a routine, we create predictability. Predictability provides us with certainty about future events. That certainty acts as a ballast against the fear and dread that anxiety cause.

CBT: CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is a type of therapy used by therapists to treat anxiety. The primary aim of CBT is to learn to separate thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Anxiety mushes everything together and drives our behavior, often making us act desperate. 

Medication: Anti-anxiety medication can be super effective if behavioral changes and therapy don’t make a big change after a few weeks. If this is a course you want to take, make sure to get in front of a proper psychiatrist or at least a psychiatric nurse practitioner. 

A healthy and successful semester, like so many periods of time in our lives, is defined by our preparation. Getting help when things get bad is often too late.