Its September and you know what that means; wet weather, darker skies and yes, the beginning of a new term. Whether you're 11, 15 or starting university, this ‘before-school’ stress may apply to you. Not only you, but the 2.8 million people still in full-time education in London, who are probably experiencing the rising feeling of anxiety surrounding the start of the academic year. It’s an increasing problem. In fact, in 2015 alone there were 5 times the amount of university students with mental health issues than there were in 2012.
When we look at their surrounding circumstances, it becomes easy to understand why their reactions to the mere mention of school are visceral and almost always negative. Changes to grading at GCSE level, the reduction of opportunities to gain AS levels and the university fees that could potentially reach £9,250 a year all impact on mental health.
So, whether you’re a hard pragmatist or open to a bit of “new-age healing”, here are a few things that just might help to ease the burden.
To limit the feeling of overwhelm and crushing responsibilities, it’s often helpful to reflect on your tasks or practise mindfulness to ground yourself, get things into perspective and plan what you have to do. Another practical way of managing your feelings is to vent to someone to ask for direct and precise advice.
Even though it seems as if a miniscule amount of people actually enjoy exercise, it is scientifically proven to lift your mood so you're able to make more rational choices and organise your time to feel active.
These pieces of advice may seem cliched, but their effectiveness is what keeps the record on repeat. Remember that how you feel can influence your outlook on a situation which is the precursor to how you deal with it. And anyway, even if you're not suddenly relieved of student debt, at least, you have conversation starters when someone mentions yoga.
