Learn 11 DLA:
Anxiety (ANX)
If at any time, you have questions about how to complete any part of this DLA,
email them to: mdsc@lbcc.edu
The purpose of this DLA is to provide the student with increased understanding of exactly what
anxiety is and how it works, and to provide him/her with tools to minimize or even eliminate struggles
in that area in the future.
After completing this activity, students should be able to:
 Give a clear definition of anxiety.
 Understand the causes/stages of anxiety.
 Implement several solutions to improve future performance in what might otherwise be
stressful situations.
Instructions for navigating through the LASSI module website to complete this DLA:
 Go To: Click on the blue link on the left side of the page
 Read:
Read the text in the center of the page
 Skip to: Skip to the blue link mentioned on the left side of the page
 Only click on “Next” when directed by the DLA
To begin this DLA module, click on ANXIETY from the menu on the main page.
Please note that you will be using the LASSI modules site (www.lassimodules.com) to access readings
but you will write responses to all your Exercises on this DLA. You will not need to type in the
LASSI module at all, but instead only read online and write directly on this DLA handout. It is
important that you follow the instructions on this DLA since it will guide you through which parts of
the module to read and which readings you may skip to.
Exercise #1: Answer the questions below before you begin reading in the online LASSI module.
1. What do you know about coping with anxiety in positive ways?
2. What do you hope to learn through completing this DLA?
Introduction
Go To: Learning From Research
Read: What Research Tells Us About Students Who Cope With Anxiety In “Positive” Ways
Go To: Learning From Research
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Read: What Research Tells Us About Students Who Cope With Anxiety In “Negative” Ways
Exercise #2: Of the characteristics of students who cope with anxiety in positive and negative ways
you just read about, write three (3) that you identify with.
1.
2.
3.
What Is Anxiety?
Go To: Questions To Guide Your Thinking
Read: What Is Anxiety?
Exercise #3: Answer the questions below with brief explanations.
1. Do you view anxiety as an emotion caused by an event? If so, give an example of an event from
your own life that causes you to feel anxiety. If not, then why not?
2. What do you believe about yourself and about events in your life that might affect your level of
anxiety?
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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3. People experience anxiety in different ways. How do you know when you are anxious? Describe
how anxiety feels to you (your body, brain, etc.).
4. What are some strategies that you use to decrease your level of anxiety?
Go To and Read: Why Understanding Anxiety Is Important.
Exercise #4: Answer the questions below by circling Yes, or No (circle Y or N below).
1. Have you ever gotten so “stressed” on a test that you forgot the material you knew?
Y
N
2. Do you have problems with worrying about how you will do even before you take a test? Y
N
3. Do you ever feel like you are getting so much pressure from others that you can’t
concentrate on your work?
Y
N
4. Are you easily discouraged about your grades?
Y
N
Which one of the four situations above do you feel is your most frequent struggle? Why?
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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Exercise #5: Write your own anxiety story below; focusing on a specific incident in the last six
months in your own life (it does NOT have to be a school-related example). Remember to include all
four of these elements in your answer: 1) the situation in which you were involved, 2) how you knew
that you were anxious (e.g., negative thoughts, upset stomach, inability to focus), 3) why you believe
you felt anxious in this situation, and 4) what you did, if anything, to help decrease your anxiety.
Complete Exercise #6 before continuing to next section.
Exercise #6: How would you define or describe anxiety in your own words? Write your definition
below.
Defining Anxiety
Go To and Read:
 Formal Definition Of Anxiety
 Perceptions
 Controlling Anxiety
 How Anxiety Works
 An Example Of How Anxiety Works.
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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Exercise #7: Answer the following questions related to An Example Of How Anxiety Works that you
just read:
1. Have you ever had an experience like the one described on that page? If so, which parts of it
happened to you?
2. How do you think this influenced your performance or behavior in that situation?
The ABC Model
Go To: The ABC Model
Read: The ABC Model Of Anxiety
Exercise #8: Write two recent events below that made you feel anxious (related to school or any other
area of your life).
1.
2.
Go To and Read Your Perceptions And Beliefs
Go To and Read: Example: A Student With High Anxiety
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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Go To and Read: Example: A Student With Low Anxiety
Reducing Your Anxiety
Go To: Reducing Your Anxiety By Altering The Event (Activity #10)
Read: Reducing Anxiety By Altering The Event. Do not complete Activity #10 online. Read material
only. Answer the Exercise below.
Exercise #9: Think about the two events that you listed above in Exercise #8 during which you felt
anxious and answer the following questions:
1. Could you have altered one or both of these situations? How?
2. What made it possible or impossible for you to avoid these situations?
Go To and Read: Enabling or Self-Sabotaging Beliefs
Go To and Read: Self-Sabotaging Beliefs
Go To: Reducing Anxiety By Altering Your Beliefs (Activity #11)
Read: Reducing Anxiety By Altering Your Beliefs. Do not complete Activity #11 online. Read material
only. Replace references of Activity #8, Part A with Exercise #8. Answer the Exercise below.
Exercise #10: What are two of your own self-sabotaging beliefs?
A.
B.
2. Answer the following questions about one of the self-sabotaging beliefs you wrote for the previous
question.
A. Is this really true?
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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B. How do you know that it’s true?
C. Does this belief hurt or help you? Why?
Take a break: Guided imagery
If you can, walk away from the computer and find a comfortable chair. If you can't walk away, and if
you feel comfortable, close your eyes where you are and put your head down. Prepare for this
exercise by taking a couple of slow, deep breaths.
Now you are ready to take a short break (about 5 minutes) from your DLA to try out guided imagery,
which is an anxiety-reducing technique.
Imagine yourself in a beautiful, relaxing setting such as sitting on the beach, hearing the waves or lying
on a blanket at a peaceful park on a cool day. What sounds do you hear? How do you feel? Use all
your senses to imagine the details such as feeling the warm sun on your skin or smelling the ocean air.
Now you should feel more relaxed and can continue working on your DLA.
Skip to the Self-Talk section (click in the blue navigation section on the left).
Self-Talk
Go To and Read: Self-Talk
Go To and Read: Using Positive Self-Talk
Exercise #11:
1. Everyone has negative self-talk. List three examples of your negative self-talk.
1.
2.
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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3.
2. Can you think of ways to change this negative self-talk to positive self-talk? Don’t be unrealistic;
just try to be more positive. Revise your three examples of negative self-talk from above into three
positive examples.
1.
2.
3.
Go To: Reducing Anxiety By Altering The Consequences
Read: Reducing The Effects Of The Consequences
Exercise #12: Which two of the techniques mentioned in this reading would help you most? Give a
specific situation/example of how each technique can help you in.
1.
2.
Skip to the Emergency Solutions section (click in the blue navigation section on the left).
As you read the following information think about which strategies you might wish to apply; you will
be asked to identify those particular strategies in the next exercise.
Emergency Solutions
Go To and Read: Emergency Solutions
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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Go To and Read: Thought Stopping
Go To: Permission to Worry Later
Read: Give Yourself Permission To Worry Later
Go To: Deal With Consequences Later
Read: Deal With Potential Consequences Later
Exercise #13: Which idea(s) from these readings seemed the most helpful to you? Why?
Skip to the Summary section (click in the blue navigation section on the left).
Summary
Go To: Suggestions For Reducing Anxiety
Read: Suggestions For Reducing Anxiety And Points To Remember About Anxiety
Exercise #14: Which two of the nine bullet points from this reading are the most helpful for you to
remember and you can start using right away.
1.
2.
Go To: Good And Bad News About Anxiety
Read: Summary Of The Anxiety Model
Go To: Suggestions From Other Students
Read: Suggestions From Other Students For Coping With Anxiety
Exercise #15: Which two of the eight bullet points from this reading are the most helpful for you to
remember and you can start using right away.
1.
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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2.
Exercise #16: Now that you have completed this activity, what three (3) strategies from this DLA do
you consider most important to your success as a student?
1.
2.
3.
Choose one (1) of those three strategies that you can apply immediately to your life or to your
coursework.
How you will apply this strategy this semester?
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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Congratulations! You now have a plan to implement positive changes in your academic and personal
life! To complete this DLA, return to the front desk where you checked in to sign up for a follow-up
session with a Center staff member to discuss your work.
Congratulations! You have completed part of your supplemental learning assignment and have learned
about how your attitudes can affect you as a student and how to create and revise goals. To receive
credit for completing this assignment, you will participate in an online follow-up session with a Center
staff member. Go to the “Follow-up Sessions” tab on the Multidisciplinary Student Success Center
Online Supplemental Learning Assistance site: http://webenhanced.lbcc.edu/mdssc/SLA/ to learn how
to schedule your online appointment with a Center staff member.
Do not complete Activities in the modules. The module will not save or print.
Type your responses to Exercises on the word document version of the DLA provided to you on
the MDSC online website.
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