Ways for students to manage stress and anxiety

Stress can impact your student’s academic performance, mental health and overall well-being. Here are some tips to help your student manage stress and anxiety in the moment and long-term.  

1. HALT 

The HALT method reminds us to check if we’re feeling hungry, angry, lonely or tired—common triggers that can amplify stress and anxiety. If your student is feeling overwhelmed, encourage them to check in with themselves by asking: 

• Hungry: Are you feeling hungry? If so, take a moment to grab a bite to eat. This can help relieve any “hangry” feelings and give your student an energy boost.
• Angry: Are you angry? Encourage your student to take a moment to think through their emotions. Remind them to give themselves the space and time to calm down and find ways to address it in a healthy way.
• Lonely: Are you lonely? This doesn’t necessarily mean your student is alone, but they may feel distant, isolated, withdrawn or disconnected. This can be a clue that it’s time to for your student to reconnect with people they care about, or people who care about them. Try scheduling a time to catch up with your student, especially during stressful times of the year.
• Tired: Feel fatigued physically or mentally? Encourage your student to take more breaks throughout the day. Whether they meditate, stretch, lie down or close their eyes for a few minutes, short periods of rest in their daily routine can help prevent burnout. 

2. Attend workshops 

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) provides free workshops for all students that can help them develop tools and skills to manage anxiety long-term. Some workshops that can help address stress and anxiety include: 

• Anxiety Toolbox: Students learn practical and effective skills for managing stress and anxiety related to school, relationships, life and more.
• Feel Better Fast: Students learn how to regulate emotions, improve their distress tolerance and practice mindfulness.
• Feel Good Friday: Students can join a meditation session at the CU Art Museum to practice mindfulness and take a break from the day. 

3. Reframe negative thoughts 

The way we talk to ourselves can have a huge impact on how we feel and how we cope with different situations. 

Encourage your student to pay attention to when a negative thought pops into their head. It could be about a class, internship or job, themselves or other people. If they’re experiencing negative thoughts, remind them to pause to take a deep breath. Next, encourage them to question those thoughts. It can be helpful to ask questions like “Is this helpful?” Finally, try to help your student reframe these thoughts. It’s not always possible to turn negative thoughts into positive ones, so it may be more helpful to aim for something neutral instead. Here are some examples of how your student can reframe these unhelpful thoughts: 

• All or nothing thinking:
  • Original thought: “If I don’t get perfect grades, I’m a failure.”
  • Reframe: "Success is more than just my grades.”
• Catastrophizing:
  • Original thought: “I made a mistake at work and now I’m going to get fired.”
  • Reframe: “Mistakes happen. I just need to be honest and see what I can do to make it better.”
• Overgeneralization
  • Original thought: “Nobody likes me.”
  • Reframe: “I haven’t met people I really click with yet, but I will. I just need to give it more time.”