HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Wednesday marked the start of a new school year for some students in the valley and while that can be exciting, it can also come with stress, anxiety and fear for those adjusting to a new routine or making the jump to a new school.
Geralyn Fortney, a licensed professional counselor and regional clinic director of Thriveworks, says this is common, especially for students who aren’t used to the structure of a school day.
“And anxiety, in particular, thrives on uncertainty, right? Who will my teacher be? What will my classes be? Who will I sit with at lunch? So they’re used to last year knowing exactly what happened last year? A summer of fun or whatever they were doing, right? Not school, most of them, and transitioning back to that routine,” she said.
She said any transition can be difficult for children, but especially middle schoolers — as they tend to have a lot more to navigate throughout the day than they may be used to.
“Going to changing classes, having new peers who you’re meeting, different subjects, having a locker, different lunch blocks. While it may think, it may seem to us like that routine, maybe just a logistical change for somebody that age. That transition can be enormous,” she said.
Fortney said nervousness and stress are normal, but parents need to know the signs when things might be affecting their child way more than they think.
“It’s intensity, duration, and impact…is it something that’s affecting them all day? Is it affecting their sleeping and duration? How long? Right? Is this hat? Are they up all night? Right? Are they talking to you every single day? An impact? Is it impacting their ability to eat, sleep, function, any activities of daily living?” she said.
She encourages parents to normalize their children’s feelings and use encouraging words, which can have a huge impact on kids.
“So make sure we say things like, ‘I understand this might be hard for you. I hear you, but remember, I believe in you, and I think you can do hard things,’” she said.
Students should make sure they say kind things to themselves as well, she said. If students stay positive, that can give them a boost of confidence before walking through those double doors.
“You might be thinking, ‘I am not confident. I’m not ready for this. I’m so nervous, and my friend, my sister, they’re so confident and ready.’ But just remember that confidence comes from doing. A lot of the time, you-it takes that action and actually doing it. So when you conquer that locker, when you meet a new friend at lunch, when you don’t get lost in the hallways, right? Those small instances over time build that up in your brain, and that’s where the confidence and peace comes,” she said.
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