Your Grades Don’t Define You: Addressing Academic Anxiety & Depression

For many university and seminary students, the excitement of a new semester is only overcome by the anxiety of a new semester. Learning is a privilege and a joy, but too often it is experienced as a burden and a judgment.

Having taught in colleges for nearly twenty years now, I have seen the rising mental health crisis among students. While they desire to learn and grow as individuals, they are also susceptible to overwhelming depression, anxiety, and impostor syndrome. And many students suffer alone, ashamed to talk about their symptoms until they reach a crisis point where they no longer can attend class.

It’s important for students to address academic depression and anxiety before it reaches this point so that they can flourish and honor God with their studies. So what steps can we take to address these challenges? Let’s take a look at the signs of academic depression and anxiety and the ways we can respond.

What are common signs of anxiety & depression in students?

But first, what is academic anxiety and depression?

By academic anxiety and depression, I’m referring to the specific mental health struggles that students experience in response to the challenges of attending school. Common signs include:

• Failure to complete projects
• A loss of interest in healthy passions
• Poor eating and sleeping
• Excessive use of distractions
• Skipping class

What are some causes of academic depression & anxiety?

Before we can address how to respond to academic anxiety and depression, it’s important to understand what lies underneath these conditions.

As I have worked with students, here are some of the most common challenges I have seen that have increased their experience of anxiety or depression.

1. Insecurity

Academic depression and anxiety often stem from feelings of shame, insecurity, inadequacy, and stress related to the overwhelming requirements of an educational program.

In my experience, what usually drives these mental health crises is the belief that their self-worth is determined by their success in the course rather than in Christ. So long as they believe they’re self-worth is determined by their academic success, they will eventually get overwhelmed and start feeling shame and inadequacy.

2. Comparison

In addition, the move from high school to college or college to seminary usually involves moving to a smaller pool of brighter fish. The tendency to view yourself in competition with others can be very tempting, but it will lead to impostor syndrome, inadequacy, and depression.

3. Trauma

For some students, entering college or seminary can open up old wounds from childhood which they had not had a chance to process previously. Namely, the space that school provides away from home and family can be jarring, causing students to reassess their lives in ways that may be unsettling.

4. Burnout

Finally, another big driver of academic depression and anxiety that I have witnessed is burnout. When students take on too many extracurricular activities and fail to take care of their bodies, minds, and souls, they physically and psychically cannot handle the pressures of higher education.

What does the Bible say about anxiety & depression?

Several passages in God’s Word directly address how to respond to depression and anxiety.

1. God invites you to unload your burdens

For example, 1 Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” We are to cast all of our anxieties on God as we humble ourselves before him. Humility is key, for it is in humility that we learn to trust in God and his promises to care for us. And he gives us two promises here: He will exalt us and he will care for us.

2. You are not the first to struggle

We are not alone in our depression and anxiety. David (Ps 13) and Job (Job 23:1–12) both wrestled with God in the dust. And David was called a man after God’s heart (1 Sam 13:14)!

3. Your identity is secure in Christ

As we shall see, professional mental health resources are an important way of dealing with academic depression and anxiety. But good theology offers us rich resources, too.

When you know and deeply understand that your identity is hidden in Christ (Gal 3:27), you’re freed to do your reasonable best on your assignments and accept the results as they come. You have the freedom not to be the smartest student in the room. You have the freedom not to master every subject. Because your righteousness comes from Christ’s imputed righteousness (Rom 4:22–25), not your own works, you are free to work with excellence and live with the grades you receive, come what may.

4. You need to care for yourself

When you properly understand your value in Christ, then you have to accept that you have an obligation to care for yourself! But in another sense, you are also free. You are free to practice a sabbath rest, to sleep, to eat healthy, to take walks and exercise, to fellowship with friends, and to go to church.

Very often, in my experience, when students experience academic depression or anxiety, they cease to take care of themselves. This dramatically exacerbates their burnout, causing them to feel more insecure and inadequate.

Properly understanding our place before God, our union with Christ, frees us to pursue education with excellence and still take care of ourselves.

How can students manage anxiety & depression during school?

Given how complex and nuanced anxiety and depression can be, managing them requires a multi-faceted approach.

1. Seek help & outside support

First, take advantage of your school’s counseling services or reach out to an external professional mental health provider. Work with them to come up with a treatment plan. Getting professional help is especially important if traumatic or difficult experiences from your past have come up during your time in school.

Reach out to a pastor or minister for spiritual guidance. This is not meant to be a replacement for professional mental health services, but an additional help. A good mental health professional will work with your faith and encourage you to work with a minister.

Talk to your physician about how to treat your symptoms and your overall health.

Cultivate a support system of friends and family. This support system should help encourage you to take care of yourself, remind you of God’s love for you, and be there to listen to you.

2. Establish & maintain good habits

Healthy habits can make a dramatic difference in how your body responds to stress and anxiety. Here are some practices to try:

• Set a schedule for getting up, eating, and going to bed, and stick to it
• Take walks and get sunshine
• Spend time in the Word and in prayer
• Attend church regularly
• Get out with friends regularly (but don’t distract yourself by staying busy with social events)

3. Create smart study habits

The way you study, or fail to study, may be contributing to your anxiety and depression by putting you in a cycle of procrastination and shame. Here are some practices to break that cycle:

• Break large assignments down into smaller pieces and set reasonable goals for yourself each day.
• When you feel anxious about a class or assignment, try not to avoid it. Avoidance makes anxiety bigger.
• Take stock of distracting addictions like doomscrolling or binge watching. They only increase anxiety.
• Take your anxiety with you into your studies. Don’t wait until you feel better to start working.

However you approach your mental health, remember that you have agency. You are your best human advocate. Don’t give into despair.

What spiritual disciplines can help manage anxiety & depression?

In my own life, a number of spiritual disciplines have helped me address depression and anxiety. These aren’t meant to be replacements for professional mental health services, but supplements that ground you—and have grounded me—in the Bible’s truth.

1. Preach the gospel to yourself

Perhaps the most important thing is preaching the gospel to myself, grounding myself in the reality of my union with Christ. Practically, this looks like praying to God, thanking him that I am his child, that I am loved and accepted, and that I am redeemed. This reminder pushes back against the narratives of insecurity and failure that feed depression and anxiety.

2. Pray for others

Along with that, praying for those in need around me recenters my concern from myself to others. Prayer reminds me of the needs of others and how I can serve them, rather than allowing me to only focus on my own fears and insecurities.

3. Dwell on Scripture’s promises

Finally, spending time in God’s Word reminds me of his faithfulness to his people. It reminds me of his promises, like Romans 8:28, “for those who love God all things work together for good.” Despite what I may be feeling now, I can trust that God will work all things together for my good, and that gives me the courage to endure anxiety in this moment.

Is it okay for Christians to be anxious & depressed?

But this raises an important question, is it okay for Christians to feel depressed if God promises to take care of us?

There are going to be times in your life when you feel depressed and anxious. And for many people, school is one of those times. Such depression and anxiety are not foreign to our faith. David expressed lament and anxiety in the Psalms (Pss 13, 69). Even Christ prayed with deep anguish in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42–44).

Yet when we go through these experiences, we should not lose sight of certain foundational truths:

• We are beloved sons and daughters of God (1 John 3:1–2)
• God is working all things together for our good (Rom 8:28)
• We can hope in our salvation and God’s promises (John 10:28–29; Ps 145:13)

Of course, when you are in the midst of suffering, it is hard to remember these truths, but they are exactly what you need to carry you through. It’s especially important to have a community of believers around you reminding you of these truths.

We need constant reminder of these things, because our fallen and creaturely nature makes us prone to feeling anxious when we most acutely sense our dependence upon God. Our modern world feels out of control. School feels overwhelming. God can feel so distant. Yet he is a “very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1).

When depressed, we can so easily slip into feeling worthless, inadequate, and unloved—based on the world’s standards. Add to this the effects of things like social media, where we are under constant judgement. In these moments, we need the Spirit who “himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16).

What mental health resources are available to students?

So if you find yourself struggling to complete work, attend class, or get out of bed, it may be time to seek help.

1. On-campus counseling services

Again, the first place to look is the counseling services on campus, if these are offered. Many colleges and seminaries offer free or discounted counseling services to students. These services can get overwhelmed by demand, however, so it is prudent to make an appointment early, when you start to notice you may need help, rather than waiting until things reach a crisis.

In addition to one-on-one counseling, many campuses offer group counseling services. While less personal than individual counseling, these groups can still be very effective at addressing depression, stress, and anxiety brought on by academics.

2. Your professors

While most of your professors are not trained to deal with anxiety or depression, they are well versed on the stresses of academic life. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your studies and your pace of life, it’s wise to visit your professors. They can:

• Help you put your studies in perspective
• Help you study more effectively
• Give you encouragement

Sometimes a student’s academic anxiety can be dramatically lowered just by hearing from a professor that they are doing okay!

3. Friends & fellow students

Similarly, talking to fellow students and sharing your struggles can be a healthy way to unburden yourself and find encouragement. You will probably discover that you are not alone in your feelings of impostor syndrome.

Be careful not to compare your grades or successes, however. That’s not the point. The point is to highlight each other’s shared experience of struggling through education.

4. The local church

Finally, many of us will not be successful in school without being firmly grounded in a local church. And all of us are called to the local church, regardless of its benefits to our education (Heb 10:25). This is especially true when you are struggling with academic depression and anxiety.

Be sure to find a church to call home, especially if you are away from home. Get involved in a small group. Find people you can confide in who will commit to pray for you and check in on you regularly.

Conclusion

Remember that God loves you and that you are your own best human advocate. Remember that caring for yourself is a way of loving God and your neighbor (1 Cor 6:19–20). And know that you have many good resources available to you. While experiencing depression and anxiety in school is normal, there have never been more resources available to help you!

If you find yourself in a place of depression or anxiety, this does not mean you are weak or faithless. It only means you have human struggles. The next step is to address those struggles, to advocate for your healing. Reach out to friends. Reach out to your pastor. Reach out to mental health professionals.

And don’t give up on yourself. God will complete the good work he began in you (Phil 1:6). Rest in that.

Resources for further contemplation

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• How to Stay Christian in College: 3 Key Principles