By Adaire Fit Fish reporters | If you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming test, that’s normal, and it can make you study harder, according to a Philadelphia psychologist. But it can be a problem if you get too worried to focus on what you’re studying.
“Anxiety is going to pop up,” said Dr. Nicole McKelvey, pediatric psychologist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in an interview with the Fit Fish. “It’s easy to feel anxious when we’re in a world where a lot of things are brought to our awareness very quickly.”
While some anxiety is normal for most people, it can become a concern if the feeling is so big that it prevents you from doing things you’d like to do, she said. For instance, you may want to play with a friend who has a dog that scares you and makes you so uncomfortable that it’s hard to visit your friend. There are ways for you to handle those feelings, Dr. McKelvey said.
“Learning how to manage that anxiety when you go to your friend’s house allows you to still be able to play and hang out with your friend and not worry as much about the dog,” she said.
Sometimes people need support from healthcare professionals like Dr. McKelvey to manage anxiety and deal with their feelings.
During the interview, Dr. McKelvey answered additional questions about anxiety. Her answers have been lightly edited for length.
Q: How can anxiety affect a child’s mental health?
Dr. McKelvey: Lower levels of anxiety can be helpful. It can help you study for a test or prepare for a speech. Some types of anxiety can make things harder. If you’re anxious about social situations and meeting new people, it might make it hard for you to make new friends, and then that would make you lonely and impact your mental health.
Q: How can anxiety affect a child’s physical health?
Dr. McKelvey: Our body has systems that work together. If you’re having social anxiety all day every day, your body can get really tired. It could cause stomachaches or cause you to go to the bathroom. Anxiety can cause tension in muscles or your neck.
Q: What is the impact of anxiety on education?
Dr. McKelvey: When you’re feeling really anxious, it’s hard to concentrate [on what the teacher or group members are saying]. That can make it hard to get good grades. It can be really stressful for a student. It’s when we struggle to manage anxiety that it impacts our education.
Q: What are some strategies to reduce anxiety?
Dr. McKelvey: We start simple and then get bigger. Things like deep breathing and relaxation can be really helpful for managing immediate anxiety.
Long-term strategies are more challenging. We do something called exposures. This means facing your fears. If you’re afraid of dogs, we start small, maybe by looking at a picture of a dog and then a video of a dog snarling. We build up to a dog being in the room with you.
Sometimes therapy is not enough and that is OK. It just means our brains and bodies need extra help. Some kids and adults need to take medicine to help their brains deal with anxiety. Medications and therapy work best together.
Illustration by Lydia, 7th grade, MaST, 2025-2026.
