Five positive ways to reduce back-to-school anxiety

Starting back after the holidays can often be an overwhelming experience, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer some positive approaches to tackle potential back-to-school anxiety for pupils in the classroom.

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It is a feeling of unease, often experienced in the mind, body and actions we take. Anxious thoughts may be linked to uncertainty about the new school year, which may result in physiological sensations and actions connected to the fight–flight–freeze response.

5 top tips

Here are five positive ways to support students experiencing anxiety or mixed emotions when they return from the holidays:

1. Share their feelings
Support students to share any worries, hopes and fears they may have about the new academic year. Encourage them to write down, draw or even creatively verbalise their emotions. Either way, avoid ‘toxic positivity’ – if a student is experiencing anxiety or overwhelm, remind them that it’s okay not to be okay, then find a calming tool like deep breathing, gentle exercise or talking to a trusted adult or peer mentor to support them.

2. Discuss holiday memories
Ask your students to create a scrapbook or journal to bring into class highlighting what they did in the holidays. Or if that’s not appropriate, you may want to create a listening game, with talking partners/groups to share their holiday memories with. Encourage students to reflect upon the highs and lows of their holidays.

• What went well?
• What didn’t go so well?
• Why?
• How do they feel about that?

Remember, there is no right or wrong.

3. Set meaningful goals
A great way to motivate and ease students into the new academic year is to create a sense of purpose by setting goals. You might like to go one step further with students by sharing your own learning and personal goals (as their teacher) with them, using the EXACT framework for goal setting (a modified version of setting SMART goals):

• Explicit – be clear and specific.
• Exciting – make it fun and creative.
• Assessable – set clearly defined milestones.
• Challenging – empower and boost motivation!
• Time-framed – when will this be achieved by?

4. Create a class vision board
After the goal-setting activity above, for greater accountability, ask students to draw images of their goals or find visual representations online. Using printed copies of their collective images, create a class (or year group) vision board to pin/stick the images onto, forming a large collage. This is a fun way to calm emotions, boost self-esteem and create a shared purpose within a positive learning activity.

5. Establish rules and routines
In order to develop and grow into emotionally resilient individuals, students need to feel safe and secure in the structure of their school environment. At the start of the year, set the tone and establish boundaries. Ask students to help you devise a list of class rules and pin this list up in the classroom. Then share the school rules and routines, including ways to keep safe and where to go to for emotional support.
 
While the five tips above can be incredibly helpful for settling students back into school routines after the holidays, they should not be used to replace therapeutic intervention. If you are supporting a child struggling with their emotions and you are worried about their mental health and safety, please talk to your school’s mental health lead, safeguarding officer, or another suitable professional.

About the author

Nicola Harvey is a former senior teacher, author and currently a digital mental health manager for a national youth charity. Her books, Mindful Little Yogis and Self-Care Activity Book for Kids, explore the importance of using inclusive wellbeing strategies to support children and young people. She is passionate about mental health and has a firm interest in mindfulness, diversity and inclusion. You can follow Nicola on Twitter @HarveyHeals.