Experiencing Back to school anxiety? Prioritize yourself and your wellbeing.
Written by: Nora Fandino Unzaga; TRIO Academic Advisor
Self-care is not a waste of time; self-care makes your use of time more sustainable.
Author and psychologist, Jackie Viramontez
The year 2020 brought on a historical change of our sense of “normalcy,” and with-it, endless uncertainty, despair, and grief. And just when vaccines became available, the light at the end of the tunnel started to flicker as the Delta Variant began to catch fire. As we all know, COVID-19 redefined how we work, how we study, how we live and how we interact with each other among other things. Nonetheless, colleges pushed forward, and the return to campus and the return to in person classes triggered a blend of emotions- from excitement to anxiety. At least it did for me. But what the pandemic has taught me, is that prioritizing self-care is essential more than ever. For some, this anxiety about returning to campus, might have already dissipated but for others a level of anxiety might persist. As we begin this new unconventional academic year, let’s not forget to prioritize self-care, ourselves, our mental and our emotional health. By doing so, we are better equipped to face whatever challenges come our way.
I am not a therapist or psychologist, but as someone who has experienced fluctuating levels of anxiety, I have found the following practices helpful. They have promoted my wellbeing and I hope they promote yours!
Practicing self-compassion and self-forgiveness– Tuning out my inner critic has been one of the most challenging practices for me, but perhaps one of the most liberating. One exercise is to recognize when you are being too hard on yourself. Then, to think of a person you care about or respect deeply, and ask yourself, is this what I would say to them? To view other exercises visit 6 science-based self-compassion exercises
Exercising and meditating- By exercising, I don’t necessarily mean high intensity, long workouts. Even short 10-minute walks can have a positive effect when done regularly and intentionally. Walking 10 minutes from one class to the next in a frantic mode will not cut it. However, if you intentionally make those 10 minutes a time to slow down it could bring therapeutic benefits in the long run. Perhaps you combine walking with an audio guided meditation. I was introduced to tapping meditation and The Tapping Solution app offers 5 minute free guided meditations specifically to reduce anxiety. This 13 minute yoga video Fast Anxiety Relief with Jess has also been helpful. For some fitness tips visit Exercise for stress and anxiety
Prioritizing sleep- In my college years, I remember one of my mottos was, “I’ll sleep when I die”. It was my way of justifying staying up late partying, binge watching shows, completing last minute papers and so on. It wasn’t until the lack of sleep to a toll on my mental health that I learned to prioritize it and began applying some recommended sleep hygiene tips.
Seeking support and accessing resources- If your anxiety is affecting various aspects of your life (school, work, family…) it’s important to seek support. For me, accessing therapy was transformative personally, emotionally, and physically. As a UO student you have access to free resources and support including:
- Let’s Talk: a service that provides easy access to free, informal, and confidential one-on-one consultation with a University Counseling Services staff member.
If you do not know where to get started, meeting with an advisor is a good starting point Click academic advising and scroll down to “Campus Advising Resources”. We care and are here for you!