You’d be forgiven for thinking that ‘back to school anxiety’ is a phenomenon felt mostly by children. But you’d be wrong. While there’s no doubt that school-age kids often get the collywobbles about going back to the classroom after a long summer at home, it’s also the case that many parents and carers feel exactly the same.
We may be a few weeks in now, but worrying about what your kids are up to, how they feel and whether they’re making friends, settling in and having a nice time is a constant concern.
As for the grown-ups? The Back To School Blues are just as bad. The legal obligation for employers to allow staff to work from home where possible ended on 19 July. And so for many, this means a return to the workplace, and in most cases, an unwelcome return to the daily commute too.
As adults, much like our kids, we’ve been COVID-conditioned to life based around the home. When lockdown struck, we got stuck in, changed our ways of life. Adapted. Adjusted to the new normal and found ways of coping. It seemed like a mammoth effort at the time, but as with all things, we relaxed into our new routines.
And while we’re all over the moon to finally put the last 18 months behind us, for most, we’re staring down the barrel of yet another big change. And humans do not like change. In fact, we’re hardwired to resist it. Our brains, without us knowing, create a cognitive bias towards a certain way of doing things to help us quickly make sense of the world – it takes a great deal of determination to work against it and feel comfortable with it.
We’ve dealt with a global pandemic as best we could, and now we’re expected to deal with life in the wake of it. Which means we’re back behind a desk, with an office full of people five days per week. Just like our kids are back at their desks in the classroom.
By and large, anxiety bothers us all at some stage in life. It’s estimated that 8 million people in the UK are suffering with it at any given moment. It’s a pandemic in its own right. Anxiety is a feeling of unease. Of worry. Or fear. It can be negated quickly or it can be more long-term. Things such as caffeine, skipping meals, conflict or stress can bring on anxiety – but a huge trigger for many is change.
Feeling stressed about catching Covid, being around groups of people, a new routine and travelling on public transport are all touch-points likely to induce anxiety.
So whether your children are anxious about starting a new school year, or you’re anxious about heading back to the office, there are several techniques you can try to make life that little bit more bearable.
- Be sure to get a good night’s sleep
- Eat a balanced diet at the correct times of day
- Stay hydrated – and steer clear of caffeine, energy drinks and alcohol
- Talk about it – if you’re worried, chat with your boss and family, if your children are uncertain, flag it with their teachers and gently discuss their concerns
- Download a meditation app and use it when you wake up
- Take supplemental oxygen in the morning – it reduces stress, relaxes muscles and boosts your brain
- Set daily goals and reward yourself for achieving them
- Practise breathwork
- Introduce aromatherapy to your home and workplace where possible – chamomile and lavender are known for their calming properties
It’s important to remember to be kind to yourself if you’re feeling anxious, take things at your own pace and understand it will pass.
If you’re finding it hard to shake your anxiety – reach out to your GP or call 111 for professional advice.
