The Anxiety Barrier

Jonathan Murphy, one of our most experienced coaches, writes about coaching as a solution to anxiety-driven disengagement among young people.

It’s a familiar sight, the teenager at the back of the classroom who’s withdrawn, either lost in their own thoughts or easily distracted by others larking around.  Soon enough their grades are suffering and they’re failing to achieve their true potential. 

One recurrent symptom for this adolescent disengagement is anxiety.   The causes could be manifest - trouble at home, falling out with friends, cyberbullying, social media pressure, or a build up of all of this….

And scientific studies have shown that when someone is under stress, there’s a flood of adrenaline, causing the famous fight, flight or freeze response.   The brain’s main role is to keep you safe, so this is the equivalent of neural alarm bells going off constantly and the brain slips into survival mode, cutting off some of the thought-processing and reflective modes.  It’s the enemy of deep concentration and focus. 

As the anxiety takes hold, some will disappear into themselves (the freeze), some will take refuge in their phones or chatty distractions (the flight) and a few might even fight, not just in the obvious way, but also by verbally lashing out at their peers or teachers in a need for control.  Eventually that disengagement can lead to lengthy absences from school which have been on the increase in recent years. 

So how does coaching fit into this?  It provides a safe space, away from classroom distractions. On a Yes Futures programme, I like how the students put their headphones on, so all background noises are literally blocked out allowing them to focus.  As coaches, our role is to be encouraging and non-judgmental, to build up a trusting relationship with the student. We come in encouraging the young people to be their true selves.  There’s complete confidentiality (within safeguarding parameters), so if they want to discuss a difficult personal relationship or why they don’t like Maths, there’s no fear of any kind of consequence or sanction.  It’s also valuable one-to-one time which isn’t often available in the classroom or even in a family environment.  

By providing positive affirmation as coaches, we’re helping to build up the student’s confidence,  helping them reflect on past achievements and future goals, and encouraging them to speak up and find their voice, by creating an environment that is as anxiety-free as possible.  Because we’re coming in as independent coaches, there’s no assumed hierarchy, such as with the parent or teacher.  Instead we act more as the ‘trusted guide’, treating them in a more adult way to make them feel more empowered.

One of the great joys of coaching on Yes Futures is watching over the course of the programme how the students open up and start to become more confident.  With that openness can come more reflectiveness allowing us in the partnership to dig deeper into their motivations and ambitions.  You can see the weight of anxiety dropping off them as they become animated about winning in a team challenge or visualising an achievable goal. That sets us up to create even more challenging targets, setting them up for some amazing future aspirations.