#school anxiety

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL ANXIETY...

What we see (exposed portion of the iceberg):

▪️ Feeling sick

▪️ Not sleeping

▪️ Tantrums

▪️ Stomach aches

▪️ Big emotions

▪️ Refusing to go to school

▪️ Crying

▪️ Being quiet

What might be underneath (unexposed portion of the iceberg):

▪️ Sensory overload

▪️ Find the work confusing and hard

▪️ Bullying

▪️ Learning difficulties

▪️ Don't know where to go

▪️ Feel lonely

▪️ Worries

▪️ Separation anxiety

▪️ Exam stress

▪️ Loud & busy classroom

▪️ Bereavement

▪️ Friendship difficulties

▪️ Unfamiliar faces

▪️ Young carer (carer responsibilities at home)

I CAN Network Ltd

[normalpeoplethiings]

still on christmas break and i don’t want to go back to school man 😢

only class i’m terrified for is food tech because i accidentally selected that as my elective and i don’t know anyone.

[justalawfulgirlaround]

Finished a task 4 days earlier than it’s due date, Isn’t that great !

[hydetheghost]

life sucks, but at least I do have the crane wives. ... :)

[jammyjams1910]

Welp another day of getting sent home from school cos my anxiety and autism is a cunt ✨

[morganadegrees]

my first exam is tommorrow. ive been freaking about it like 'i have to study i barely know anything!!!' but also im for some reason not studying. just letting the anxiety crawl into my heart and eat me from the inside out. my brain is so strange.

[b4byfawn]

I thought I’d be able to go back to school but idk now I feel sick and my legs are shaking. i swear, I cannot do this all over again

the swedish school system makes me wanna puke.

[sakina12]

I'm so tired of thinking about what I should do

I can't even relax for a sec

I can't stop thinking about the future

But what if I regret not living in the moment

And what if I regret not working hard for the future

I neither like my present nor do i like to think about my future

All I do is regret my past decisions!

[fusdoaandovah]

y'all omg im going back to school tomorrow and i just cant wait :)!!! yall i cant wait to be subjected to constant judgement again:)!!! i really missed having my basic human needs under a control of emotionally immature boomers:DDD!!!! omg after two months i can FINALLY have my personal worth be judged by a number again :)))) im just really excited to try my hardest and have professors call me lazy and entitled :)))))) sitting still for eight hours straight :)))) like bestie thats the american dream :)))))))) like omg i cant wait to disrupt my body's natural sleep cycle every morning :)))) im just so excited everyone :))))))) who's with me :DDDDDDDD i mean i just LOVE being viewed as an object who is inherently inferior to adults:)))))))))))) yall i just cant wai-

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

School Anxiety

The Autistic Teacher

[tilliwriteapine]

I have been in a constant state of anxiety all week 😭 And now I can’t sleep. This first week of term has been horrendous, I feel so behind, and the new job isn’t helping 😭😭

I can’t focus, which worries me.

Argh, I’m so - frustrated with myself.

also, anxiety sucks ass

[justalawfulgirlaround]

📍University, 5:09 PM

[drowningpearl]

It’s hard to sleep when my heart feels like it’s trying to claw it’s way up my throat and thoughts are swirling like a hurricane through my head.

[jammyjams1910]

Vent

Can someone plz tell me why some teachers in my school are so fucking inconsiderate

Context:

On Tuesdays, my year has assembly in the canteen

But 1, we're literally cramped together cos the seats barely have any space between

And 2, we stupidly have assigned seats for fuckin assemblys..

So in simpler words, every Tuesday, I'm stuck cramped with a bunch of goddamn strangers in my year

Near the end of the assembly, I start to feel rly anxious about the situation I'm in cos ..yk, so I put my head down on the table

But then one of the teachers comes up to me and starts going on like: "Jamie why're you sleeping, miss is talking, that's really disrespectful", when I wasn't even sleeping, and the whole fucking table was staring at me, WHICH MADE ME FEEL EVEN WORSE

I tried to tell him what happened after by saying sainc like: "sir I wasn't sleeping, I put my head down cos I was feeling anxious", which I was btw, its hard to sit cramped with people I don't even know for nearly an hour, its only the first time he's seen me try to cope with it like that.

And then this stupid guy starts saying: "Wdym, how can you be anxious, you've done this many times before, what're you on about" which made me nearly fucking cry cos I was already feeling upset about this whole situation

In the end I just said sorry and that I'll try not to let it happen again, so I don't get a detention or in anymore trouble, so I went through first period literally fighting back crying, and the rest of the day completely miserable

This guy seriously needs to know that just cos my head's not up, doesn't mean my ears no longer work

I still feel rly upset rn and I didn't tell anyone about it

[one-abuse-survivor]

Do you have any tips for calming down from an anxiety attack/hypervigilance/dissociation while you're at school?

I’m not a professional, and I also didn’t have any (healthy) coping mechanisms for any of these things when I was in school, but I can try to share some tips. If anyone else wants to add their own, please go ahead!

First of all, I think it’s important to say that while many coping mechanisms can help with all three issues listed here, it can be really helpful to recognise whether you’re having an anxiety attack, are hypervigilant, or are dissociating in order to know what will help calm you down. It’s also important to try to figure out the root of the issue, so you can recognise what triggers your anxiety/hypervigilance/dissociation and potentially remove some of those stressors.

I also think it’s important to remember what helps someone else might not help you, and vice versa. So if you find a coping mechanism that helps with either of these issues (and that doesn’t hurt you), even if it’s not listed anywhere as a coping mechanism, you’re allowed to use it.

All that being said, here’s an incomplete list of things that can help while at school:

With anxiety attacks:

Breathing exercises, if you know how to do them correctly.

Doodling, or even just scratching the paper with a pen or pencil to release the feelings that may be piling up. (Do this only on material you won’t have to pass on to someone else at the end of the year).

Tapping your feet on the ground or your fingers on the desk rhythmically, focusing on the sounds they make or the textures you can feel when you do this.

Asking to leave the room if necessary (or just leaving without asking if it’s an emergency). If anyone asks, you can say you had a bathroom emergency. Remember you deserve to take as much time as you need to recover in a quiet and private space. No lesson is more important than your well-being.

Cold water. Splashing cold water on your face, your neck, your wrists, or holding cold water/ice in your mouth can help. And, of course, drinking cold water. It will send a message to the nervous system to calm down. You can also get this to help with breathing, as taking sips of water stops you from hyperventilating. If you can’t/don’t want to leave the room, you can carry a cold water bottle (maybe with ice in it so it lasts longer) to your lessons and press the bottle itself to your skin.

With hypervigilance:

Breathing exercises, again, if you know how to do them.

Diverting your attention. If you find yourself looking around everywhere or focusing on your surroundings, you can try carrying something around with you that's nice to feel/smell/look at (eg. a stim toy, a piece of jewellery, any objects that can fit inside your pencilcase) and focus on it instead. If necessary, you can try to describe all its characteristics.

Doodling can also help you keep your focus on what’s in front of you, instead of on your surroundings.

If you need a mental distraction, challenging yourself to think of 3 things that begin with each letter of the alphabet, (e.g. 3 animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet, then 3 countries, then 3 cities, then 3 foods...).

Repeating a mantra to yourself: 'I'm safe, it will pass, I can do this'.

Moving your body, especially if you feel paralysed or tense. It can be a big stretch to loosen your muscles or even just a toe wiggle.

With dissociation:

Tapping your feet on the ground or your fingers on the desk, again focusing on your body, on the rhythm and the textures you can feel. The goal here is to get back into your body; to become more aware of the here and now.

Progressively getting in touch with your body. Start by curling your toes and holding that for a few moments, then release. Then tense your calves for a few moments and release. Do that with each area/muscle group in your body in order (thighs, belly, chest, arms, neck) to help remind you that you are real, that you're connected to the world.

Moving your body. Stretching, wiggling your toes, rubbing your thighs, brushing your hair with your fingers, etc.

Cold water, again, to splash or press to your skin and help reconnect with your physical sensations.

Stim toys or objets that feel nice to the touch or have a strong smell, for the same reason.

Asking a friend for a hug, if you’re comfortable with it. Not only because it can help you reconnect with your body, but because physical contact can calm down our nerves and make us feel safe. 

After you go through any of these things (anxiety attacks/hypervigilance/dissociation), drink water if you can. Not just because it’ll calm you down, but because your body has just worked hard and tired itself, and needs fuel. For the same reason, have a snack if you can; preferably something with carbs and protein, like a sandwich.

If any of these issues are getting in the way of your school life, please reach out to an adult you trust. You do not have to deal with any of these issues on your own, and you don’t have to just push through and expect yourself to have as much mental energy as your classmates. You deserve help and accomodations, and you deserve to be gentle and kind with yourself. Health comes before school.

Sending all my support your way ❤️

[that-one-girls-blog-posts]

I love lectures and studying and libraries, spending hours trying to understand a topic, structure, speeches and beeing around intelligent people AND THEN I have schoolanxiety please-