The Veteran Supported Education Service Treatment Manual: VetSEd

C. Coping Strategies in an Educational Setting
Peer VetSEd providers can help Veterans keep their education goal by promoting coping
skills. As VetSEd providers likely know from their own lived experiences, the skills that
each Veteran utilizes will depend on the particular difficulties they are having. For
example, for a Veteran having difficulty coping or performing under pressure, it may be
helpful to use time management strategies to avoid having to finish things at the last
minute. It may also be helpful to learn stress management techniques like mindfulness,
deep breathing, or other similar strategies. While the strategies noted below are useful to
share with Veterans, a peer VetSEd provider should supplement this information with
examples from their own lived experience and experience working with other Veterans.
By doing this, the peer VetSEd provider can bring this information to life and increase
Veterans‘ motivation to integrate these strategies into their day-to-day life.
Stress Management for Education Settings
Learning to manage stress is a crucial step for success in educational settings.
Overwhelming stress can reduce ability to focus and learn new things. It is extremely
important to recognize and deal with stress before it becomes overwhelming and causes
educational problems. In order to deal with stress, it is helpful for the Veteran to
recognize the causes of stress and the signs of stress. When stress is recognized and
understood, techniques can be applied to reduce it. Below are some causes, signs, and
coping strategies for stress.
i. Causes of Stress
There are numerous causes of stress and below is a partial list of causes of stress related
to education. For Veterans with PTSD, clinical help may be needed to cope with triggers
and consequences of exposure to traumatic experiences. Please see the chapter VI. D.
Knowing Your Population: Serving Returning Veterans with Trauma and Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Co-occurring Mental Illness and
Substance Use for guidance in this instance. For other Veterans, you can ask the Veteran
to apply the list below to his/her educational life and identify if these issues are adding
stress to the pursuit of educational goals.
Limited or no quiet/rest or personal time
Worry and anxiety about educational failures.
Difficulties dealing with mental health symptoms on campus
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