Worrying and How to Help 101!
written by Emma Bartley
We all get that feeling. Your stomach starts to hurt, your breathing might quicken. Your heart rate picks up and you feel a little sweaty. You are feeling a little worried, and that is totally normal! Worry is very common at this time of the year when a new school year is about to start. But have no fear! Here are some quick tips if you are every feeling any worry.
- Focus on your breathing. If you are ever nervous, start focusing on your breath. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it out. I recommend equal ratio breathing; you take a breath in, hold it, and let it out for the same amount of seconds. I usually do 4 seconds for each step, but you can adjust that time to what works best for you!
- Make a list of your worries. Sometimes, when you write out your worries and see a tangible list of them, you might see how silly some of them are. It also is nice to release your worries into something physical so they are not just in your head.
Busy yourself. If you can get your mind off of the worries, you will forget about them! I don’t recommend busying yourself with your phone, though. That can sometimes lead to more worry and stress. I recommend coloring, reading, exercising, or something of that nature.- Talk to someone. If you talk to someone, they might help you realize that you have nothing to really worry about or give you more ways to handle your worries. It also helps me personally when I just vent to someone!
- Set goals.
Working to fight your worries by setting tangible goals can help you relax. For example, if you are worried about not finishing your summer reading book, instead of wallowing in stress, start making goals each day to read a certain number of pages!
Not all these tips might work for you, and that’s fine! Just find what works best for you. I hope that you can go into this new school year stress-free and calm!