September is truly a special month in a year, from the comeback of Pumpkin Spice Latte to the
marking of the summer’s ending, and for students all over the world: the start of a new
semester. After a halt of having a regular routine, not all of us enjoy the transition back to going
to school, taking classes, meeting friends, or just the general idea of having to sit down and
work on a subject.
So for those who are sensing the anxieties creeping up, we are here together to find out the
roots of our feelings and discover some tools to alleviate our mind of the burden.
But first, why are you feeling that?
Feelings are the manifestation of our thoughts, spreading through our bodies, so we can react
to the thoughts. Even though thoughts are created by our minds, they are not entirely ours. Some
of the thoughts are guests coming from the outside world, into our minds, that never leave! It is
up to us to watch out for those guests because not all the guests have good intentions.
Let’s visit five common guests that can trigger our anxiety here today, but even if you don’t find
yours, remember that we have been here for thousands of years and yet, we haven’t discovered
all the stars in space yet!
The list of common reasons:
- **Academic Pressure:** Do you wish you could get rid of certain subjects at school? Did you
land a bit lower than your expectations last semester? Were you told by people you should try
harder? Are you close to the graduation milestones and you are hyper-aware of the upcoming
workload and expectations?
- **Social Pressure:** Do you find it exhausting to make friends, to fit in, and to be someone
likable? Are you someone who enjoys people’s company by getting to know them bit by bit, and
finds having to do that with many people overwhelming?
- **Change of Routine:** Are you a free spirit that loves to wander in your own time and your
own space? Does the idea of going back to school threaten your liberty to spend all your time
on your hobbies and your callings?
- **New Environment:** Are you a new student at a new school and you are absolutely clueless
about what to expect? Extra points if you transferred! Another 10 points if you moved away from
home.
- **Bullying or Peer Pressure:** Did you have bad experiences caused by people you had to
meet on a regular basis at school? Are your mind occupied with the thoughts that the issues will
resume when you are back?
Feel free to add your 6, 7, 8, etc. to your own list of reasons. The more you have, the more
unwanted guests you can identify to extricate yourself from your anxieties.
So now, what are you going to do with your reasons?
Let’s cut to the chase and admit that we have all felt this imminent worry from time to time, and it
is necessary for us to allow ourselves to sit with it. This too shall pass, just like all the time
before.
However, to make this time a bit better, we present you a flow chart so you can ask yourself the
questions that move you out of the stuck zone and witness your own thought process.
In case of serious issues like you are worried about being bullied or harassed, we highly
recommend you to discuss the matter with someone with the authority to help you, in addition to
sharing it with people you can trust in the process.
