We all experience worry at different times throughout our lives, and on a daily basis too. Anyone can experience stress or worry, sometimes there is a clear reason, and other times it can be difficult to identify an obvious trigger.
Many young people worry about school. This is a normal, and learning to understanding and manage worries is an important part of growing up. However, sometimes our worries seem so big that they seem difficult to cope with. If this is about school it can sometimes make us not want to attend school.
Have a think, what do you feel when thinking about school?
There could be lots of reason to worry about school. Below is some examples:
(Adapted from Albano & Kearney, 2018; Rae, 2020 & West Sussex Council, 2021)
Why is attending school important?
It is important to understand how you are feeling and seek support as early as possible. School provides important learning and social opportunities for learning and social. Time missed in school can make future learning harder, and cause young people to miss out on important interaction with their peers. This can lead to additional feelings of unhappiness and worry.
I am worried about school- what can I do now?
The next important step is to talk to someone about how you are feeling. This might be a key trusted adult, e.g. someone who you are close to and feel it is safe to talk to. This could be a family member, a teacher, classroom assistant, guidance teacher, or a community figure e.g. a sports coach or club organiser.
Talking about your worries can be difficult. A first step could be DRAWING your worries. Another idea could be to write down everything that worries you on a scale:
MOST WORRIED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
LEAST WORRIED
Click here for some useful examples of relaxation activities that could help you to feel calmer and more in control when worries or stressed. You can try these by yourself or ask a trusted adult for support on how and when to use them:
