very stressed with school and family

✧

✧

Hi there,

I’d just like to start off by saying, take a deep breath. Go on... Now, stress can be a lot to deal with and everyone's struggles are valid. No matter what someone else is going through we never have to justify our feelings as we are all entitled to our emotions, free of judgement.

Not everyone is able to label their pressure as stress or anxiety, but in my personal experiences, changes in our thoughts and bodies occur when we view a situation as difficult or unpleasant, preparing us to respond to danger. Faster heart and breathing rates, increased blood flow to arm and leg muscles, chilly or clammy hands and feet, unsettled stomach, and/or a sense of dread are all signs of the "fight, flight, or freeze" reaction. In these situations, try calling a trusted friend to take your mind off of whatever is stressing you until you are able to face it, or try doing some exercise and let that serotonin and endorphins flow.

Starting with school...

it's best to take things slow. Don’t throw yourself into the deep end of friendships or school work if you’re not ready for it. If your friends are true friends then they won’t rush you. And as for your teachers, as much as it seems like they’re not, they’re there to help you, not only as a teacher but as a mentor and someone you can trust. So if you need extra time on homework or help in class, just talk to them and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help. Taking it one step at a time is a great way to approach anything. Try planning out your week in fun colours and stationary. Sometimes writing down everything we need to do helps us to realise that it’s manageable and not the end of the world, and trust me, ticking off each task makes you feel great at the end and allows you to see how far you’ve come. You can also try out a reward system. For example, if you finish all your homework early, treat yourself to a netflix movie with friends or even a few episodes of your all time favourite show!!

Now as for family, it's a little different...

Our families don’t always understand this, but sometimes we need a break from reality and that can include isolating ourselves for a while. However there are positive ways to do this such as taking a bath in the dark with some scented candles, listening to your favourite playlist through your earphones and going on adventurous bike rides to nowhere (add a little bit of music and it becomes magical, like living out your favourite childhood movie). Watching a movie either alone or with a best friend is a good option as well. Although, this doesn’t mean that we should spend our lives hiding away in our rooms, socialising every now and then is great for our wellbeing and super healthy.

I hope this advice was able to help you a little bit, however feel free to visit again with more questions or even read other articles to see what others might be going through, I’m always happy to help!!

Miss Sage <3

♡