Top 3 Tips to Help Teens Adjust with Back to School

As summer comes to end, many teens experience that  feeling of dread knowing another school year is approaching. If you do, you are not alone. The school year can come with an immense amount of stress, anxiety, and overwhelming thoughts and feelings. Most people have much more on their schedule to balance and that can become exhausting at times. Fortunately,, there are ways we can work to manage these pressures and tackle the back to school pressure head on.

3 Ways to Manage Back to School Overwhelm 

Preparation 

In all things in life, being prepared can greatly diminish feelings of anxiety. Whether it is your first day of kindergarten or first day of senior year, feeling as though you are going into the year knowing what to expect can make it less stressful to navigate. Start doing this by building a routine. Summer can bring poor sleep schedules with later nights and later mornings. Getting yourself into a better rhythm of sleep a few weeks before the start of the year will not only improve your overall mood, but also help you ease into that transition to early school mornings. This can also be a time to look into course work if it is accessible to you and get an idea of what the first few weeks of school will entail. 

For some tips on sleep hygiene check this out! 

https://www.mindfulhealingllc.com/blog/adjusting-your-sleep-schedule-for-school 

Cope Ahead

Similar to the way physical preparation can help, such as a better sleep schedule, working on your mental skills can reduce back to school anxiety as well. The coping skills you had been using through the summer will still be available to you by the time school rolls around. Practicing some skills and being confident in your ability to use them is a great mindset to have at the start of a new semester. Remember to throw some time to re-charge in the creation of your back to school routine. If you feel you need more, or different skills, this could be a time to take a look at your coping toolkit and find room for improvement with your therapist. 

Slow Down

While it is difficult to push aside the stress that comes with an impending new school year, allow yourself to enjoy the remainder of your summer. Take those last few weeks while you are adjusting your sleep schedule and practicing your breathing techniques to get some meaningful rest and relaxation. Remind yourself you have navigated the fall many times before, and you will be able to do it again. Be kind to yourself during this time and remember to reach out if you need help. 

If you or your teen are struggling to get in the back to school routine the therapists at Mindful Healing can help. Contact us today to learn more!