1. Go easy on yourself
Everyone wants to do well at school, but don’t put loads of pressure on yourself. Sure it’s disappointing if you don’t get amazing marks all the time but remember – you’re in a pandemic! It’s OK to relax! And if you don’t do so well on that spelling test next week… don’t beat yourself up. Spellungs knot thet yusefool enywhey!
2. Try something new
Spend some time doing something new and fun. Not homework, not even anything useful (unless you really want to) – just something that you like doing. You could learn how to say “where’s the beef?” in 5 different languages. Or paint a portrait of your cat driving a tank. Or finally work out what it is about bees knees that makes them so great.
3. Be mindful
Try to control what you’re thinking about. It might sound weird, but it does actually help! Look around the room you’re in and slowly name: 4 sounds you can hear 3 of your favourite colours in the room 2 things you can smell 1 thing you like about yourself. Say these things in your head, not out loud – and you’ll find that it gives your brain a break from whatever is stressing you out. Check out this article for more tricks like this!
4. Talk it out!
People have been getting stressed out about stuff for thousands and thousands of years. It’s totally natural and nothing to be embarrassed about. Make time to talk to your family or friends about your feelings, and ask for help if you need it. They’ll understand – and probably feel the same way! And even if they can’t help, just talking is usually enough to make you feel a bit better.
5. It’ll all be over soon!
Coronavirus is still a really big deal. But people will find a way to cope, and things will get easier and easier until all of a sudden – everything will be back to normal! In fact, with a bit of luck things might even be better than they were before!
6. Be proud of yourself
Instead of feeling bad when you make mistakes or worrying about how rubbish everything is, try to think of all the ways that you’re actually doing really well right now. Going back to school in a pandemic is scary – but you’re still doing it! And that’s amazing! You’re in a huge global emergency but you’re still getting out of bed, learning things and having fun. Those things might sound simple, but none of them are easy! For more tips on how to deal with going back to school, check this out!