Karla Browne
Returning to school can bring excitement, but it can also be an anxious and overwhelming time for some. Students may begin to worry about new teachers, heavier workloads, unfamiliar routines or finding their place within a friendship group.
Some nervousness is normal, of course, and may ease as students settle back in. However, anxiety becomes more concerning when it remains intense, lasts for weeks or begins to interfere with learning, relationships, sleep or everyday life. Signs of this can include irritability, difficulty concentrating, tiredness, headaches, stomach aches and avoiding school.
Figures show just how widespread these difficulties can be. Approximately 40% of 17-year-olds in Ireland have experienced anxiety or depression lasting two weeks or longer.
Separate long-term findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study indicate that the proportion of Irish schoolchildren reporting feeling low every week has doubled to 46.3%.
Other research shows that 50% of mental health difficulties begin by the age of 14.
This is why it is vital to understand and support students as much as possible. Parents can help by checking in regularly without turning every conversation into an interrogation.
Choose a relaxed moment and ask open questions such as, “What was the easiest part of today?” or “Was there anything that made you feel uncomfortable?”
Listen without immediately trying to fix the problem. Dismissing worries with comments such as, “You have nothing to be anxious about,” may make a young person feel that their concerns are being invalidated.
Friendships should also form part of these conversations. Check in to see if they have someone to sit with in class or chat with during breaks. Take notice of any friendship-group conflicts or bullying. Having supportive friendships is important in helping students settle in.
Finding ways to ease students back in and make school feel manageable can be incredibly helpful, and often only small changes are needed.
- Restore routines gradually by moving bedtime earlier in small steps and reducing screen use during the hour before sleep.
- Prepare the night before by organising uniforms, bags, lunches and stationery.
- Break the day into smaller parts, focusing on one class or break at a time rather than the entire term. Plan time to decompress after school before beginning homework or discussing every detail of the day.
- Identify a safe adult, such as a teacher, year head, guidance counsellor or other staff member they can approach.
Encourage students to reach out to teachers when things become overwhelming or stressful. Making sure they know it is okay to ask for help is one of the best things you can teach them.
Knowing when additional support is needed is also essential. If things do not settle or continue to worsen, a GP, school guidance counsellor or qualified mental health professional can help assess what support is appropriate.
Helplines and support services such as Pieta, spunout and Jigsaw can also be useful for young people who need to reach out. Jigsaw provides free, confidential support for young people and families, including online chats with a therapist.
The aim is not to remove every nervous feeling. Instead, it is to ensure that students know they are heard, supported and never expected to manage overwhelming anxiety alone.
