Episode Transcript
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Jessica Davis (00:07):
If you're feeling
anxious about heading back to
school, you're not alone.
I've worked with countlessteens and young adults who
started their school yearfeeling overwhelmed, nervous and
even scared.
Today, I want to give youstrategies that can help you get
through those first weeks ofback-to-school anxiety.
Hi, and welcome back.
(00:31):
To Block Out the Noise.
This is your go-to podcast forteens and young adults who want
to quiet the noise of anxiety,self-doubt and overthinking.
I'm your host, jessica Davis, alicensed therapist, mindset
coach and the creator of theCourage Method, which is a
seven-step framework to help youbreak free from fear and build
lasting confidence.
(00:52):
In today's episode, we'regetting super practical.
I'm going to share with youseven tips to manage
back-to-school anxiety.
Hopefully these are strategiesyou haven't heard anywhere else.
Hopefully, these are strategiesyou haven't heard anywhere else
.
If you're tired of genericadvice like just breathe and
stay calm, this episode is foryou.
And before we dive in, makesure you've grabbed your free
(01:13):
anxiety survival toolkit fromthe show notes.
It's packed with practicaltools to help you manage anxiety
anytime you need it, throughoutthe day.
Also, this podcast is here tosupport and guide you, but it is
not a replacement for talkingto someone in real life If
things ever feel overwhelming,please reach out to a
professional, and if you're in acrisis, contact emergency
(01:36):
services or a local helpline.
You don't have to do this alone.
All right, let's cut throughthe noise and get started.
Back-to-school anxiety comesfrom not knowing what to expect.
There are new teachers, newpeers and sometimes even a new
environment.
This can happen as early askindergarten.
All the way through college,you start to worry about what
(01:59):
people will think of you.
Will you like this school year,or even what potentially could
go wrong.
But this is all about how totake control over this narrative
and set you up to stop thenoise of intrusive thoughts and
overthinking and buildconfidence.
Strategy number one visualizethings going right.
(02:20):
When you're anxious, your mindtries to prepare you and so it
thinks.
By going over all the worstcase scenarios, you will know
what to expect.
The thing is, the more thoughtsand times we play things going
wrong, we are setting upourselves for things to go wrong
.
You might be thinking I can'tcontrol my thoughts and they
(02:42):
seem to just come out of nowhere.
I want to challenge you to find10 minutes before you get out of
bed to visualize things goingwell, that you have the best
first day, or that today wouldbe different from the rest.
Maybe you've been crying everymorning, but today you visualize
yourself calm.
You aren't crying.
In fact, you are laughing withyour peers.
(03:05):
You're answering questions inclass and you hardly ever
participate, but today you do.
You see yourself having fun.
The day flies by because of it.
The goal is that you yourselfvisualize things going well.
This may take practice.
At first it will feel foreignand weird, but we all are
(03:26):
capable of implementing thisstrategy.
Use this as much as possible.
Our brains are super powerful.
The more you show your brainthat things are going well then,
the more the brain will believeit and start to change our
thought process.
Visualizing success actuallyhelps reduce anxiety.
Basically, the more youpractice seeing yourself win,
(03:49):
the more you will have wins.
Strategy number two groundyourself with a powerful
playlist.
Okay, now I know you'rethinking I play music all the
time.
It's my way of coping, but thetype of music you play is very
important.
Music evokes emotion in us.
(04:11):
There are songs that will bringus to a favorite memory or a
song that can make us cry.
Songs that will bring us to afavorite memory or a song that
can make us cry.
Sometimes, when teens and youngadults create playlists, the
songs aren't uplifting.
They are leading to feelings ofsadness, depression or,
honestly, the rhythm is so fastthat it's creating worry within
(04:32):
our body.
You need to create a playlistthat will instantly help bring
motivation and encouragementwhen anxiety strikes.
We are looking for feelings ofconfidence and joy.
I would love it if you can addin the comments songs that you
feel help motivate you so othershave ideas of what to add to
their playlist.
(04:52):
Strategy number three carry asmall comfort item.
This one people kind ofassociate with kids, but
honestly, it can be effective atany age.
Just like music can evokedifferent emotions, items can
help us feel more secure and atpeace.
I used to wear a necklace withmy favorite number.
(05:12):
Whenever I was worried aboutsomething, I would just rub the
necklace or adjust it and playwith it.
It served as a reminder thateverything was going to be okay.
It doesn't have to be somethingbig for it to be effective.
It could be a key chain, abracelet, a watch or even a hair
tie.
It really doesn't matter whatthe item is.
(05:34):
It's more about thesignificance to you.
It could be a gift from afamily member, a friend, or it
could represent someone you lookup to like a star or athlete.
Find what works for you, carryit with you and you might be
surprised on how much that helpsreduce your anxiety.
Strategy four create a secretanxiety mantra.
(05:55):
This is one of my favoritestrategies.
We all know the power of ourthoughts and I personally have
seen the power of using a mantra.
It can embolden you, motivateyou and carry you through.
Often I feel like teens andyoung adults aren't aware of how
often they are already doingmantras that aren't serving them
(06:16):
.
So, for example, if you arestruggling with anxiety and
someone is trying to help youthrough it and you're saying I
can't, over and over again,that's a mantra.
You are telling yourselfinternally and outwardly that
you can't do it.
Remember, the brain willbelieve what we tell it.
So we want to come up with amantra that actually helps us
(06:38):
work through our anxiety.
You want it to be short andsomething you can say privately
but, if need be, also out loud.
It could be I've got this, orjust breathe, or it could be I
can do it.
You want it to be between likethree to five words max.
This personal mantra can groundyou and shift you from anxiety
(07:03):
to back and control.
If any of these tips have beenvaluable, please take a moment
to give us five stars on ourpodcast.
Your support truly means theworld to me.
Also, grab your anxietysurvival toolkit.
It's packed with practicaltools for managing anxiety.
You can go grab it for free inthe show notes.
(07:24):
Strategy number five practice,practice, practice.
Sometimes our anxiety comesfrom just a lack of practice and
knowledge.
If you are able to go to yourschool early, sign up for
orientation, ask for a tourbefore school starts if possible
.
If your school has alreadystarted, stay after and practice
(07:47):
your schedule.
Walk the halls, practicegetting to your classes or work
on your locker.
Whatever you need to do to feelmore comfortable in this new
space, do it.
So many teens and young adultsare afraid to ask for help.
They don't want to appearstupid, but we all have
struggled finding things.
But if you feel uncomfortable,asking practice can really help
(08:12):
with this, especially if you cando it before school starts.
Strategy number six Write orplay a morning pep talk.
You might be thinking why areyou giving me another morning
thing to do?
If I'm visualizing my success,why do I have to add a morning
pep talk.
Well, research suggests thatone negative thought can
(08:32):
strongly impact your mood, andintentionally countering it with
multiple positive thoughts canhelp balance and shift your
mindset.
So the more we pump ourselveswith positive moments, positive
thoughts, the better we willfeel and the more our brains
trust that we can get through.
Also, this one can be prettyeasy to add.
(08:53):
You can write down threesentences to hype yourself up,
or you can do journaling forfive minutes.
You'll probably be surprisedwhat you can write or type
within that time frame.
It also would be cool to trackwhere you are in the beginning
of the year and see how faryou've come down the road.
I currently do this myself.
(09:13):
I write for 20 minutes in themorning, but I feel like for
teens and young adults, itdoesn't have to be as long.
Five to 10 minutes can be veryhelpful and impactful.
It could be things you'relooking forward to for that day.
It could be the wins that youhad from the previous day or
just acknowledging that you aretrying.
(09:33):
If writing or journaling isn'tfor you, then play a morning pep
talk.
This could be looking atmotivational videos on YouTube,
hearing a speech that inspiresyou, or listening to podcasts or
audio books that are focused onself-development or improvement
.
There are tons of differentoptions out there.
I think even like commencementspeeches for colleges are a
(09:57):
really cool way of getting thatmotivational pep talk on life,
and I'm a person who likes toplay things on repeat, so you
want to find something thatreally speaks to you.
So you might have to try acouple of different videos or a
couple of different audio booksjust to find the right one.
(10:19):
But once you do, don't beafraid to play it every single
morning Again.
Sometimes it's best to stick toa routine.
Know that you're getting thatinformation or knowing that
you're getting that blast ofpositivity can really help set
the tone for the day.
Strategy number seven talk withAI.
(10:41):
I know there are therapists outthere that are anti-AI, but I
clearly, if you've beenlistening long enough, you know
that I'm not one of them.
Ai isn't going anywhere and Ireally do believe it can be a
resourceful tool.
Ai should never replaceprofessional therapy,
(11:02):
particularly in crisis.
It's good as an immediatesupport or coping, but for
deeper issues it is important tospeak to a mental health
professional.
Even AI itself gives thisdisclaimer, so it honestly knows
its own limits.
So often teens and young adultswill send out multiple text
(11:23):
messages or snaps on how they'restruggling throughout the day,
especially in the beginning ofthe day, and it can really be
overwhelming to friends andfamily on how to support them
through it.
I feel like AI is perfect inthese moments.
You can simply share yourthoughts, your worries and tell
it to help you through it.
This can just be the supportiveresponse that you need to get
(11:46):
through the door or through theday.
I like this tool because it'sfree.
It can be an app on your phoneand you can go back and forth
with it like text messageexchange.
Some AI tools are better thanothers.
I do feel like some AI.
They just go on and on and theysend you these massive long
(12:06):
messages and you're like I justneed you to get to the point.
But again, it depends on thetype of AI you're looking for,
so try and test them out and seewhat works best for you.
If your school doesn't allowphones and use during the day,
then use it before you leave inthe morning or on your way to
school.
Now, anxiety doesn't allowphones and use during the day,
then use it before you leave inthe morning or on your way to
school.
Now, anxiety doesn't get todefine your school year.
(12:28):
You have more control and powerthan you give yourself credit
for.
These strategies might feelsmall, but if you do them, I
know that it can lead to majorimprovements.
Remember, strength grows everytime you face your anxiety head
on.
Now for the courageous moment.
Please take one of these sevenand practice them.
(12:51):
Pick the one that calls out toyou the most and use it for at
least a week.
Try it out for one weekstraight.
Literally set a goal foryourself of tracking those seven
days, and before you tryanother one, of course, my full
recommendation would be to tryand do it for 30 days, because I
think, honestly, it takes along time for you to adjust to a
(13:16):
rhythm and a routine, and sevendays it might not track well,
but do what you can.
If you're gung-ho and you wannado 30, definitely do 30.
But if you're starting off andyou're like I don't even know if
I really will like thisstrategy that I'm choosing, then
just choose one.
I truly hope that you have thebest year yet and even if it's
(13:37):
not because sometimes, right,every year can't be the best
year that's just how it goesJust know that you can get
through School doesn't defineyou.
Your grades don't define you.
Your character does so.
Push yourself outside of yourcomfort zone, do what you can
and just know I'm here rootingfor you.
Thank you so much for listening.
(13:58):
Until next time, keep movingforward, trust yourself and
never forget you have what ittakes to block out the noise.