 Summer is coming to an end, which means it's time to head back to school. As much as we want this vacation and warm weather to last, time stops for no one. Even though school can be fun and enlightening, some students might feel nervous about hitting the books again. Just know that anxiety doesn't have to get in your way of starting the new school year right. Here are 5 tips to help you combat back-to-school anxiety. 1. Create a personalized anti-anxiety kit. When it's time to hit the shelves for back-to-school shopping, go early to give yourself as much time as you can. This creates less pressure, so you won't have to rush last minute to find what you need. Along with new pencils, notebooks, and folders, create what we like to call an anti-anxiety kit. Anxiety may leave you with bad stomach aches, so you might keep a bottle of Pepto-Bismol or Ginger Ale in your kit. Aromatherapy scents such as Lavender can have calming effects on the central nervous system, so you can include a bottle of essential oils or lotions in your kit as well. The fall semester is also the perfect time to enjoy a cup of tea, especially because many teas have ingredients with calming effects that can also help you sleep. Tea bags and a few snacks are great to include in your kit. Some foods that may reduce anxiety are almonds, blueberries, turkey, bananas, and bell peppers. 2. Walk through your schedule before the first day. A new school environment can be incredibly intimidating, with all of the stimulation and change it brings. You just might alleviate some stress by visiting your school before your first day of classes to get an idea of where you're going. You can go with friends or family or book a guided tour of the campus to make the experience more approachable. It's also a good idea to attend orientation so you can learn about your school's resources, meet new people, and ask any questions you may have. Aside from knowing where your classrooms are, familiarize yourself with where counseling services, financial help, and the nurse's office are. 3. Fix your sleeping schedule ahead of time. Comers are great for staying up till 3am and making fun memories with your friends, but you won't want to wait until the night before your first day to fix your sleeping schedule. Instead, start re-regulating your sleep pattern a few weeks before you start school. The last thing you want to worry about is oversleeping, sleeping in class, or looking like a zombie when you greet your classmates. Check out our video, 8 Strategies to Beat Insomnia for Sleeping Tips. 4. Invest in a good planner, diary, and gratitude journal. Unpredictability triggers anxiety. Keep consistent routines by setting a time each day to study, unwind, eat, and head to bed. Invest in a good planner to help you remember all your appointments, deadlines, and events. You may also want to keep a diary and gratitude journal on your nightstand. Before sleeping, you can write down what's bothering you in your diary, and then at the end of the night, you can end the night on a positive note by writing three things you're grateful for in your gratitude journal. This will help you stay present so that your mind won't linger so much about past mistakes or worry about what hasn't happened yet. You can always keep everything you need in one place, like a laptop or a single journal, to simplify your nightly reflection. 5. Plan for you time on the weekends. Anxiety can consume you just as much as the schoolwork itself. It's easy to get wrapped up in perfecting resumes and preparing for tests. We can sometimes forget that we'll only be this young once. Students are often encouraged to make a list of goals we want to achieve in the next school year. Maybe you want to boost your GPA, or get more involved in extracurricular activities. What about making a list of goals to have fun or accomplish personal goals? Do you want to attend more school dances, learn a new skill, or go out with your friends on a weekend? Finding ways to relieve our stress is important, so hand time to focus on something other than school. Let adventure await you, rather than anxiety. Are you a student struggling with anxiety? What makes you most anxious about going back to school? Please share your thoughts with us below. Also, be sure to subscribe to our channel for more helpful tips and share this video with others. With your help, we can reach more people and spread awareness on mental health issues. Thanks for watching! Hey everybody, I just want to give a personal thank you video for you guys for always supporting Psych2Go and making this all possible for us. 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