School Daze

Here it is, August.  It’s so hot…(How hot was it?)  It’s so hot I saw a dog chasin’ a cat and they were both walking…(rimshot).  But seriously, …

Didn’t school just get out?!?  It seems like it was just a few days ago.  Maybe 75 days, but who’s counting?  I tell you who’s counting – the kids who know exactly how many days until summer vacation is over and school (and homework) begins again.

When I was a kid, I always counted the days until school was out.  In fact, after my first day of optometry school, I proclaimed to the class, “Only 687 school days to go!”  I got a few groans, but we all got a glimpse of the light at the end of the proverbial education tunnel at that moment.  I never really counted down the days until school started.  I wasn’t that excited.  Summer brought to mind all the things that were possible if we spent our effort and freedom to bring it to pass.  Travel, events, late nights with friends…the next day was a true treasure that we could manifest into anything our heart desired, if we so chose.

Some just played video games…(but I digress…)

I never had any trouble readjusting to the next school year starting, but I know many who feel the anxiety and angst of the unknown of having to learn harder material, working more, having more responsibility, and feeling the pressures that come with growing older, even if you are still a child or teenager.  

Some really dread the first day of school.  All the shopping for supplies can add to the anxiety when you see the shopping list and fill your cart with the weapons of education – your pencils, pens, compass, ruler, notebooks, crayons (for younger kids), …the list can be endless.  What are some ways to deal with the stress and pressures of the upcoming school year?

 Here are 3 suggestions for dealing with back to school anxiety:

1. Normalize it. It’s important to realize that most everyone is anxious about going back to school. Interestingly enough, your body cannot tell the difference between excitement and anxiety. Some people hide their anxiety better than others, but most everybody has some trepidation walking back into school. Totally normal.
2. Pick your focus purposefully. Unless the Lord blows his mighty trumpet and the second coming occurs, the first day of school is going to happen. So purposefully get on board with all the good and positive things that come with the start of a new school year. Fresh school supplies, seeing all your friends again, some structure to your day, learning new materials, and other wonderful things that come with the privilege of being educated. Remember, many children all over the world are unable to access education.
3. Deal with your stinking thinking the right way. Some of us who struggle with anxiety more than others often like to ruminate on ideas that are over exaggerated, negative, or just flat out incorrect. These are called irrational thoughts or stinking thinking. These thinking errors like to set up camp in our minds, and if they aren’t monitored, they can take on a life of their own and create havoc on us and our feelings of anxiety. One of the best ways to deal with stinking thinking or irrational thoughts are to write them down. Then write down all the reasons why this thought is incorrect or irrational. This exercise has a way of taking away the power of this erroneous thought. Fair warning-you might have to do this exercise multiple times. Usually this is not a one and done kind of exercise. 

Anxiety feels very physical, because it is a reaction that occurs when your mind senses danger. Human beings are part of the animal kingdom, and we are made for survival. This is great, if you are walking through the woods and a bear come across your path…however, not so wonderful when you are thinking about school starting and you start feeling worried and panicky. When your mind senses danger, it throws you into the hypothalamus-pituitary response, which is a fancy way of saying fight or flight. It is an automatic response to danger that makes you able to run faster, fight harder, and increases your chances of survival. Once this system kicks in on you, it takes at least 7 minutes for it to run through a person’s system. Therefore, when that nervous/anxious feeling starts, the best way to get the physical feeling to subside is to deal with it cognitively. The “on” switch for the hypothalamus-pituitary response is in your brain, therefore, this is also where the “off” switch is located. Being purposeful in how you think about your anxiety can be very helpful with how you deal with your anxiety.

School is challenging enough without the extra added stressors we can pile on in our mind.  I hope this school year brings you much success and personal fulfillment.  Just take it one day at a time.  And for all you incoming high school freshmen, remember, only 720 more school days to go!