Oklahoma Mental Health Expert Discusses Managing Anxiety For Students

The stress that comes with standardized testing can cause major anxiety for children, even for those still in elementary school.

Some anxiety is natural to to keep people mentally and physically alert, but a therapist from Sunbeam Family Services said that anxiety can turn serious when it comes to testing.

“Teachers are passing on some of their anxiety about this test too, because in a way the results of this test reflect the teachers," therapist Charles Jackson said. "The parents are feeling this anxiety too because this test could mean going to the next grade level or not."

Jackson also said some signs of this are headaches, stomachaches, more sweating than normal and not wanting to go to school.

If you see those signs in your children, Jackson said parents should tell them it's okay to feel anxious, but also teach how to cope with those feelings.

Jackson said some things you can do to prevent anxiety include sticking to a child’s normal routine before the test with plenty of sleep and healthy meals, and to try not to plan things for after the test.

Jackson said avoiding distractions will help with anxiety, but overpraising kids can also have a negative affect, as it can cause self-doubt.

Breathing techniques can also be helpful, according to Jackson, as students can quietly practice this anywhere by just taking deep breaths in and out to ease any anxious feelings.