A New Beginning, A New Challenge
Our whole lives, we hear about starting over, getting a new chance. It’s supposed to be this magical opportunity to forget the past, and have something unwritten before us. We’ll get to choose our own adventure. Sounds great, right? But…what if starting over actually creates some stress?
A number of years ago, I changed where I worked. I was doing the same job, but it just felt harder. I remember talking with a friend, and telling her how I couldn’t believe how it hard was proving myself (my skills, my knowledge, my competency) all over again. It had been so long since I’d walked into a room where people didn’t automatically respect my opinions, that I forgot the path to get there…and it was exhausting (and, if I’m being honest, creating some serious imposter syndrome). We sometimes forget that starting over, while filled with promise, can also create stress or uncertainty.
As we get ready to start a new school year, there is hope, excitement, and probably some anxiety for our students - what if my friends don’t have the same schedule? I didn’t make the team, now what? A new teacher? But I just got used to my old one. School staff is feeling it, too - a new group of students to learn and figure out how to reach, a new set of parents to partner with for their kids’ success. Parents are also carrying that anxiety- hoping their kids have a good year, that their peers are kind, that their teachers can reach them and help them grow. New beginnings can be magical, but they are still a change, and change can sometimes be tricky.
Want to help get yourself ready for a new school year? Try:
Begin with a routine. Start getting to bed earlier and up a bit earlier. It doesn’t hurt to also have a healthy meal or two and move your body to give the stress somewhere to go.
Pick out a goal or two for the year, and begin a plan for how to achieve it. Make these small, and attainable.
Ask about the wins each day, AND give space for what feels like losses
Visualize being successful. Picture yourself succeeding at ______ (school, work, activity). Practice what you want to say, so you feel more confident when the first day rolls around.
Practice using growth language - I don’t know my peers, yet. Math might be hard, but I’ll learn it. My student doesn’t know their way around the new building, but they’ll get used to their schedule.
Here’s to a season of change, growth, and learning about ourselves along the way.
Feel like you would like to learn more about preparing for change or something new? Does starting something new seem like too much? You don’t have to figure this out on your own, and counseling is a great place to explore how to begin.
Kerri Gallen is a mental health professional in St. Louis, Missouri. She specializes in treating high school students, college students, and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, and life’s transitions. You can contact her office by phone: 314-967-5439 or email: kerri@gallencounseling.com.