Back to School Anxiety

For most to us, back-to-school season is right around the corner. Throughout the year we make and lose friends, take classes that challenge us, and gain new experiences and knowledge with it all. However, in those weeks leading up to the start of a new year, many of us undergo feelings of nervousness and anxiety. That stomach-churning, nauseating feeling takes hold of me, often clouding my thinking with numerous worries about what will happen in the upcoming school year. 

Speaking from personal experience, I usually worry about the absurd amounts of homework assigned every day, the possibility of my locker not working, seeing all my classmates and teachers again after months, and so much more. If you’re beginning your journey at a brand new school, you may worry about not finding your ‘crowd’ or how to transition from a school you know well to a strange and unfamiliar one. As a result of the nerve-wracking thoughts, I ponder before I go back to school each year; I wanted to figure out some ways to conquer and cope with those nerves. Through research and personal discoveries, I have compiled some ways to do so. 

On a personal level, I cope with waves of anxiety and nervousness through doing things I love, which gets my mind off of my worries. Coping with these feelings looks different for everyone, but I usually write; Depending on what mood I'm in, I usually write about my feelings or a fictional story. Other times I may rewatch a movie or an episode of a TV show, which I can find great comfort in. The research I did offered more of a perspective on what parents can do to help their child deal with back-to-school anxiety, rather than what teens can do themselves, but I took this insightful information and adjusted it into methods that can be implemented by teens themselves. The Harvard Health Blog recommends practicing your school morning routine before the first day of school. Additionally, Johns Hopkins offered some tips to ease back-to-school anxiety, such as going to bed at a realistic time and picking out your clothes for the next day a week or two before school starts. They also encourage hanging out with friends before school starts, as research suggests your academic and emotional adjustment can improve if you have a friend around during the transition of going back to school. 

Whether you want to combat the stress of the new school year approaching by doing the things you enjoy or focusing on getting into your back-to-school routines, I believe we all have what it takes to conquer back to school stress and these are options that offer great ways to do that!

Written by Ava Polk.

Sources: 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-tip 

s-to-ease-backtoschool-anxiety%3famp=true 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/back-to-school-anxiety-2018082314617