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.<\/p>\n
Geralyn Fortney, a licensed professional counselor and regional clinic director of Thriveworks, says this is common, especially for students who aren\u2019t used to the structure of a school day.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd 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\u2019re 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She said any transition can be difficult for children, but especially middle schoolers \u2014 as they tend to have a lot more to navigate throughout the day than they may be used to.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing to changing classes, having new peers who you\u2019re 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s intensity, duration, and impact…is it something that\u2019s 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?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She encourages parents to normalize their children\u2019s feelings and use encouraging words, which can have a huge impact on kids.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo make sure we say things like, \u2018I understand this might be hard for you. I hear you, but remember, I believe in you, and I think you can do hard things,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might be thinking, \u2018I am not confident. I\u2019m not ready for this. I\u2019m so nervous, and my friend, my sister, they\u2019re so confident and ready.\u2019 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\u2019t get lost in the hallways, right? Those small instances over time build that up in your brain, and that\u2019s where the confidence and peace comes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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