Hi Abi,
School can definitely be a stressful time and even harder when you're having to deal with other stuff. I'm in my mid thirties now so suffice to say things would be quite different now compared to when I was in school but some things that have helped me over the years are:
- Breath. See what works for you. Even just counting to ten or an exercise called box breathing can be a good place to start. When things do become overwhelming I might also try to just observe my emotions as
they come, trying to remember they are just emotions and are not always reflective of what's true.
- Exercise. While I'm not aware of your situation, I found exercise helped me to relax and wind down, increased my confidence and gave me something to focus on to help drown out other distractions that would often just become overwhelming. I enjoy yoga and the gym as it allows me time to myself whereas I find groups of people can often be overwhelming.
- Music. There's a whole world of weird and wonderful music out there. Similar to breath, listening to some music helps me to focus and grounds me so I can just observe my emotions without becoming overwhelmed.
I know you can't do all of these things in school all the time but I've found that having these activities outside of school/work has helped me to manage my anxiety when it does come up during those stressful moments.
Anxiety looks so different for everyone so I hope you find these tips helpful. Again, while I'm not aware of your situation, school can be a stressful and anxiety inducing time for sure especially if you have parents and teachers trying to tell you that all this stuff matters and impacts the rest of your life. It doesn't. A lot of friends I grew up with did terribly in school and ended up with amazing lives and careers. Some of the brightest kids from my school ended up exactly the opposite.
Also, try to keep in mind that there are likely other kids around you that might be feeling similarly so you are absolutely not alone.
