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If you’ve made it this far into your high school education, then you are no stranger to the stresses and anxieties that come from that dreaded first day of school. The good news is that you are not alone if you do experience these back-to-school jitters.

Lucky for you an article from abouthealth.com has some helpful tips on preparing yourself before the school year even begins and stress relief techniques to aid you through the rest of the school year. Waking up earlier and going to sleep sooner the week before school starts really does help. Other tips for the before-school conditioning include touring your school, meeting teachers, enjoying the back to school shopping, and preparing yourself mentally for the work to come.

Mrs. Karen Butler, the high school and middle school guidance counselor, noted, “There have been a few students that I’ve seen but for the most part students tend to feel comfortable and supported in school.” She also stated that “the number of middle school students who suffer from back to school anxiety is much greater than the number of high school students.” This is most likely because “it’s a greater change moving from elementary to middle school than from middle school to high school! [New] Middle school students are less equipped to cope with the stress of change.”

Her advice for lessening the school anxiety? “Become involved in school activities. Students who feel like they are connected to the school are less likely to feel anxious about attending school.”

Keep in mind there are some stress relief techniques that can help you through your entire life, let alone the school year. Maintaining a healthy diet and prioritizing sleep can help reduce stress, as can getting enough exercise, being organized, and finding personal stress relief techniques that work for you.

“Enjoy the time you have left in school. It is less stressful as you go along,” said senior, Nick Perry.

If you are a student who has back to school stress, you are not alone! Teachers, too, struggle with the worries of a new school year. “Do we get everything ready on time? That’s the biggest part for me,” said Mrs. Flarend. Mrs. Butler also added, “It would be natural for teachers to experience anxiety because they have a great deal of demands placed on them. They are expected to effectively manage a classroom and meet the department of education’s standards on standardized tests, so I would imagine most experience some level of anxiety.”

So next time you’re feeling stressed or anxiety towards anything that is happening to you in your life, remember these things you can do to get yourself through it, and remind yourself you are not alone!