Anxiety strikes every year at the beginning of school. From kids to adults, it seems like everybody is starting school and the stress is sooo high!! Are you feeling overwhelmed this school year? So, what do we do to help with all this stress in our life?

In This Article:

• Ideas to Manage Anxiety for Back to School
• Kid’s Stress Back to School
• Pressure to Perform

• Encouraging Notes
• Support for Adults during Back to School
• Organization Helps Back to School

• Quotes for De-stressing Anxiety & Back to School
• Free Downloads for Back to School

Ideas to Manage Anxiety for Back to School

Anxiety strikes when we least expect it. We think we are doing ok and then, wham, our thought are racing, our heart is pounding, and we are frozen.

This week has been most one of the most amazing and beautiful adventures for me. At the same time, it’s been one of the scariest journeys I’ve ever been on. The more I focus on the overwhelm, the more the anxiety grows.

I’m drawing from my life experiences, my graduate school education, wisdom from those that I have seen succeed, and wisdom from those that I have seen fail. This is not counseling or therapy in any form.

So, how do we manage this anxiety?

Here are a few ideas that can be helpful during back to school when fighting anxiety.

Kid’s Stress Back to School

Did
you know that almost 50% of America’s youth are worried about doing well
in school?

Our youth are feeling way too much pressure on them these
days.  As caring adults, we can make a
difference and stop the early burnout that they’re facing by high school graduation!!

Pressure to Perform

Do you remember the stress you felt as kid and as a
teenager?  Many times, we adults put too
much pressure on kids to succeed at academics, sports, lessons, leadership,
community service, competitions, social engagements, group activities, and
family activities.

The pressure to perform in our culture is so high that we don’t even feel like we can relax, because then we feel like we are being lazy.

The pressure to be perfect, make a 4.0, get into a great
college, graduate with a great degree… it’s a lot of pressure!!

This pressure causes a lot of stress on our kids!!

Anxiety and depression is sky rocketing for our youth,
suicide rates is higher than ever for our youth!

See a problem??

Kids Feel A Lot of Pressure

Here are stats that you need to know, from APA about kids feeling a lot of pressure.

• 61% of teens feel a lot of pressure to get good grades
• 29% of teens feel pressure to look good

• 28% of teens feel pressure to fit in socially
• 6% of teens feel pressure to drink alcohol

What can be done??

Let’s remember that our kids are our kids, they are not adults and should not be held to adult level responsibility and consequences.  I’m all for raising responsible and contributing young adults in our society, but not when the responsibility and consequences are for beyond their development.

I’m for raising kids to enjoy their childhood and follow their dreams.

Appreciating our kids for who they are is way more important than what kind of grades they get or if they will get into a great college.

Let’s encourage each other and our kids with sweet, encouraging notes.

Encouraging Notes

Giving encouragement to your children will help them throughout the day and night. You can brighten their day before school, send lunch notes to remind them how much you love them during a stressful day, and during the evening supper or before bed give them hugs and compassion.

Encouraging our kids help them know they are in a loving home, build relationship skills to have their own family one day, and grow in compassion and confidence in a loving environment.

Want encouraging notes to give to your children and family?

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Support for Adults During Back to School

Now
that your kids are okay, you can focus on your support to make it!

I
feel like so many of my friends and those that I know are dealing with so much
stress in their lives that even the daily functioning and living can be
difficult to do at times.

Being
there for each other during times of stress helps all of us actually go from
surviving to thriving.  When my friends
are actually there for me, it’s amazing how much quicker I bounce back.

My experience has taught me that when I can be there for my friends, the same thing happens, they are able to bounce back so much better, too.

Investing in Relationships

Do
you have that friend who you can count on to help you talk through tough times?  If not, invest in a good friend and be there
for them.  The chances are high that they
will in turn be there for you when you really need it most.

Realizing that I have friends and family who love me and support me makes the biggest difference during this time of struggle.

My support systems and my social connections are some of the most important things that get me through the day to day and struggles in life.

I
love my family and my tribe. Without them, I would be a lost soul. This
includes love for my God who gives me the light and the hope to continue during
dark times.

Organization Helps Back to School

So, the other day, I had a ton of things to get done but I had such a hard time concentrating because my home office was such a mess.

Now, the truth is it’s been a mess for awhile and I’ve been avoiding organizing it.  That meant the mess was now getting in the way of my productivity and overwhelming me further.

Every
year, right before the fall, when I can make the time to organize the study
area and the command center… the whole year flows better.

This year, I gave myself permission to start with cleaning for 15 minutes.  If I chose to continue, that was okay, but I could also choose to stop and be proud I had at least cleaned one stack of papers.

For more help on organization, here’s some helpful tips on de-cluttering and organizing.

COMMAND CENTER

My
goal every school year is to get a good command center organized.

So,
what does a command center need?  How about
the must have’s for the command center could include…

• calendar
• key hooks
• mail organizer

• paper organizer
• pen and paper
• notes on bulletin board or white board

• shoes bin
• jackets hanger
• umbrella holder

Quotes for De-stressing Anxiety & Back to School

I hope this helps and I hope you are feeling better knowing how to help your kids and yourself start this school year off on a better foot.

When
you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s some motivational quotes to help you get
through the day.

Check out my PINTEREST

Over 1500+ Motivational and Inspirational Quotes!

Free Downloads for Back to School

Here’s some free download links from my friends that can help you during this time of the year when school is overwhelming and the routine and the schedules have gotten crazy.

Receive FREE Encouraging Notes

Receive encouraging notes for every season. It’s easy and free, just print and give it to your children and your family.

SIGN UP HERE!

Blog Hop: Back to School

How about more back to school help with snacks for the kids, work day lunches, handling after school meltdowns, getting special needs kids ready for school, back to school Bible verses, and saving money back to school.

These things are very helpful and all of these articles are written by some good friends of mine in my bloggers mastermind group. We support each other and they’re part of my own social connection and support team.

I hope you enjoy their tips and free downloads that they have to offer.

More Free Downloads:

Be sure to share this with your friends and family who could use some help and encouragement during this time of the year.

Receive FREE Encouraging Notes

Receive encouraging notes for every season. It’s easy and free, just print and give it to your children and your family.

SIGN UP HERE!

Stay Connected

I’d
love to stay connected with you, here’s a few ways to connect with me and my
Wellness community:

1. Join Moore Wellness Tribe today! <– Blog Tribe
2. Moore Wellness Facebook <– FaceBook page
3. Beth | MooreWellness.LIfe <– Pinterest page
4. Moore Wellness, LLC <– Instagram page

Connect
with me & share how you find HOPE.

Join my
Wellness Tribe & be the first to hear about wellness coping skills &
life-giving resources.

I’d love to hear from you, please leave me a comment, or join me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.

Blessings,
Beth

Need help finding a counselor?

If you need someone to help to talk to, counselors and mental health professionals can help provide support resources on:

• time management
• stress management
• procrastination
• relaxation skills
• goal setting
• personal development

Graphics
and article ©2019 Moore Wellness

Related

During a crisis, do you feel the panic around you? Are you feeling the panic held within yourself? Our bodies hold what our minds and spirit feel in this world, and currently we are not exposed to a great deal of peace and joy. It still exists all around us, but when tensions are high, it can be hard to see. Check out our mental health tips below to calm your brain down for a moment and check out our wellness course on teachable: Panic to Peace.

Disclaimer: This article has resources about restoring wellness, and is based on my research and my experiences.  This information is not meant to take the place of counseling or therapy.  If at any time you feel uncomfortable or need to talk to someone, wellness resources may be helpful.

Mental Health Tips During a Crisis

Our days are filled with fear right now, especially with the unknown and routines changing during this crisis (PBS). When we experience fear, our minds often race and cause the sensation of panic.

I imagine many of us are working from home by now, maybe your kids are home too and everyone is just trying to do their best! So with our brains going a million miles an hour, what can we do? That question is important right now, so we are gathering resources to help you.

The crisis resources in this article are gathered from reliable sources, such as CDC, PBS, and NPR.

1. Be safe & Wash your hands to a 20 second song

We’ve all heard it, but what’s the big deal about washing your hands. May seem trivial during a crisis, but our brains get so consumed on what we cannot control that we often forget that we can do a major service to the world by taking control over our hygiene habits.

• And from a mental health stand point the sensory affect of water running over your hands with the smooth sensation of soap.
• Rhythmic motion of hand washing can force your brain to sit a semi-hypnotic state for a few moments, just long enough to knock your anxiety down a peg- or more!
• Washing your hands for 20 seconds or longer with soap and water can significantly lower the spread of bacteria.
  • “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I’m begging of you please don’t take my man. Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. Please don’t take him just because you can.”
  • Sing the first verse of “This Little Light of Mine.”
    (and more on NPR)

2. Social distancing during a Crisis (not isolation, stay digitally connected!)

Not sure how to social distance? First, social distancing is keeping safe distance between yourself and others to keep from spreading the virus (CDC).  This does not mean we have to socially isolate ourselves, that can lead to depression and more anxiety.

We can stay connected in creative ways:

• Video calls & video conferencing (skype, Facetime, zoom)
  • Call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
  • Talk to a neighbor, you can stand fat least 6 feet apart and still connect
  • Hold a virtual living room meal
  • Have a FaceTime game night
  • Get out the family pictures and videos and take a trip down memory lane
  • Write a letter, email, message someone
  • Reach out to a helping professional (licensed counselors)

Tips on social distancing during a Crisis:

Try being at home and not in public places, always stand 6 or more feet from others, and avoid all one-on-one breathing distance conversations that you can for the next few(ish) weeks (CDC).

Quick Talking Points with Social Distancing

Try out these quick talking points for the next time you find yourself wanting to be up close and personal.

• “Hey neighbor! (from 6 feet or more away) how your flowers doing this season?”
• “Our apartment is so small, I just want to leave the house! I’m going stir crazy! But I know I can’t leave, I’ll go put on a relaxing youtube video of waves rolling in, or maybe some panoramic shots of mountains!”
• “I want to bake a cake more than ever, but I don’t have brown sugar! Oh man, I’m going to write down in my planner a few weeks from now to bake a cake on our first day back in the regular office!”