6 Steps To Overcome – Back-to-School Stress

School is about to start up again, and for many kids a variety of emotions begin to surface—ranging from excitement to nervous anticipation to all-out dread and panic. Starting a new school year is about making new friends, meeting new teachers, buying new clothes and book bags, facing bullies, learning a new curriculum, and, of course, doing homework.

- By Kellie Lupe-Smith

In the year 2021, going back to school brings a host of new stresses that many parents and teachers didn’t have when they were growing up. In the digital age, kids are getting fewer and fewer hours of sleep because their minds are over-stimulated by electronics—and lack of sleep can create a number of problems, mood swings, weight gain, and brain fog. Kids are also suffering from overwhelming stress due to social anxiety and sports pressures, and some are even gaining weight as a result of stress eating. And last but not least, how will the kids deal with a return to a classroom after the pandemic? Will social distancing be in place, and what about masks?

The good news is that there are tools that can have an immediate impact on adolescents in stressful and uncomfortable situations. Here are the top six techniques that parents and teachers can use to help students (and themselves!) stay relaxed this back-to-school season.

1. Breathe deeply and correctly.