When the World Feels Overwhelming: Helping Students Navigate Stress with ACT Strategies

In today’s world, students are constantly exposed to difficult news—climate change, divisive politics, community violence, and more. The steady stream can feel overwhelming, and many students struggle with anxiety, helplessness, and fear in response.

The Big Picture Believer module within Alongside helps students manage anxiety about overwhelming global issues by using strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In the video below, Alongside’s Dr. Clarke Heyes walks you through a student chat to see this in action. 

WANT TO TRY IT YOURSELF? Educators can create a demo account to see how Alongside helps students navigate overwhelming global events

Why Global Anxiety Is on the Rise

As Dr. Clarke Heyes explains, “Today’s students have unprecedented access to information, much of which is deeply concerning. This constant exposure to negative global events can have a significant impact on mental health.”

Rather than shielding students from the world, we can equip them with the skills to process their feelings, gain perspective, and focus on what they can control.

Breaking Down the Big Picture Believer Module

The Big Picture Believer module within Alongside helps students manage anxiety using strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is especially powerful because it doesn’t try to suppress or “fix” difficult emotions—instead, it helps students accept their experiences and take meaningful action based on their values.

The module is structured around four ACT principles:

1. Cognitive Defusion – Teaching students to step back from overwhelming thoughts.
   
2. Acceptance – Encouraging students to acknowledge their emotions instead of avoiding them.
   
3. Values Clarification – Helping students identify what truly matters to them.
   
4. Committed Action – Supporting students in taking purposeful steps, even amidst discomfort.
   

Kiwi, Alongside’s llama mascot, guides students through each step in a supportive and personalized chat experience.

Starting the Journey

Students can access Big Picture Believer by going to the “Superpowers” tab in the app and scrolling to the module. Kiwi opens with a warm welcome and a brief explanation of the skill they’ll be working on.

Personalizing the Experience

Next, Kiwi invites the student to share more about what’s bothering them—whether it’s climate change, war, or general anxiety about the state of the world. Here’s where AI personalization really shines: Kiwi uses the student’s own words and tone to make the conversation feel relevant and empathetic.

Taking a Step Back

Kiwi helps the student scale the issue—guiding them to assess how much it’s affecting them and to begin viewing it from a broader, more manageable perspective.

Reconnecting with Values

The heart of this module is helping students rediscover their personal values—the people, goals, and ideals they care most about. While global events may be outside their control, their values (like family, kindness, or creativity) are often closer to home and more within reach.

Kiwi gently helps students see that, even if they can’t change the world overnight, they can still make meaningful contributions in their daily lives.

Taking Action

From there, Kiwi helps the student come up with a small, concrete step they can take that aligns with their values—like helping a family member, volunteering locally, or spreading kindness at school.

Wrapping Up with Encouragement and Support

Every chat ends with a summary of the conversation, including the key concepts covered and the goal the student set for the week. This summary can be shared with a counselor or support team, helping build continuity and shared understanding between students and caring adults.

Plus, Alongside includes pre-written encouraging messages counselors can send to students via email—one of our most loved features!

Helping Students Face the World with Confidence

The Big Picture Believer module doesn’t pretend the world isn’t challenging—it acknowledges the stress and anxiety that come with being a young person today and offers tools to cope.

By combining mental health strategies with meaningful reflection, and personalizing the interaction with the power of AI, Alongside helps students build resilience and reconnect with what matters most.

Ready to help your students see the big picture and feel more grounded? Try Alongside today.