Academic Anxiety: A Therapeutic Approach

As part of Anxiety Week within the IE Mental Health Awareness Month, this workshop offers a practical and compassionate space to explore academic anxiety in high-pressure university environments.

Feeling overwhelmed, behind, or under constant pressure is a common experience at university, even when it seems like everyone else has it all together. While a certain level of anxiety can help us stay engaged and motivated, unmanaged academic anxiety often leads to procrastination, exhaustion, and reduced performance, gradually impacting self-confidence.

This therapist-led workshop focuses on understanding why anxiety shows up, why it is important to make space for it, and how to respond to it with kindness rather than self-criticism. Grounded in evidence-based approaches, the session introduces practical tools to work with anxiety rather than against it, including values-based action, self-compassion, and strategies to stay engaged even when things feel difficult.

Participants will be invited to rethink anxiety not as an enemy to eliminate, but as a meaningful signal that, when approached with curiosity and acceptance, can help us better understand our needs, navigate academic challenges, and move forward with greater clarity, flexibility, and care.