When Back-to-School Anxiety Creeps In

If you're feeling back-to-school anxiety creeping in, this talk and guided meditation helps you quiet the countdown in your mind, reconnect with the present moment, and make the most of the time you still have, even if school starts tomorrow. Using a simple gratitude practice, you'll gently shift your focus away from tomorrow and back to today.

Part of the Radical Rest for Teachers collection, this practice was created specifically for educators.

Perfect for: classroom teachers, educators, back-to-school, teacher anxiety, returning after a school break, mindfulness for teachers, emotional regulation, teacher wellness, stress relief, and grounding.

Background Music By: Music of Wisdom, "The Inner Calling"

Transcript

Hello, Fabulous teacher friend! Oh my goodness, It's almost time to head back to school. Yikes! I'm so glad you've taken this moment to show up for yourself. It doesn't matter if you're on a short break like spring break right now or a longer winter break. Or the longest, Most glorious one of all, Summer vacation. As the time draws nearer when we have to go back to school, I'm often filled with this sense of anxiety. Dare I even say dread or panic? And it's not that I don't like my job. I really love my teachers. I love the kids and administrators. And not everyone can say that. But I still feel anxious because this job asks so much of us. On any given day, We're making hundreds of decisions. Solving problems, Managing emotions, Teaching lessons, And caring for people. You really do have to get your mind right before stepping back into it. Years ago, I would let the last days, Or in summer, The last whole weeks, Be overshadowed by a pit in my stomach. Anxiety can be such a thief. It steals the present time with what ifs of the future. I'd spend my precious days off feeling the countdown ticking in the background, Unable to fully enjoy where I was. Maybe you've already started mentally walking through your return to school. Running through how to get your classroom ready. Thinking about lesson plans. Checking your email just one more time. Maybe worrying about a student, Or having conversations in your head that aren't even real yet. When I started exploring breathing and mindset practices, I thought, There just has to be another way. I can't keep spending my breaks feeling like a ticking time bomb. And that's when I started experimenting with a simple gratitude practice that we're going to try together. And you might be thinking, You've got to be kidding me. This lady's going to help my back-to-school anxiety with gratitude. And trust me, I get that. Gratitude can't be a magic wand. But maybe it can be a pretty magical tool. And for the last six years, This practice has genuinely helped me return to my actual life instead of living in the future in my own head. When anxiety starts pulling me toward everything that's coming. I can now catch onto those worrisome thoughts more quickly. When I do notice them, I take a few deep breaths. Think of a few things I'm grateful for. And come back to what's true right now. I no longer let dread hijack my day. Now, That doesn't mean I never feel anxious. It doesn't mean I've somehow mastered life and I float through every break feeling peaceful. It just means that when I notice myself spiraling into the future, I have something I can do about it. Maybe your personal version sounds like, I should have gotten more done, Or I can't believe break is almost over. For me, Sometimes it sounds like. Karen, Why didn't you tackle that house project? Why haven't you gotten together with that friend? Or you should have gotten ahead on your schoolwork. And that's my Q. To shift my thoughts. Not to beat myself up for having those thoughts, Just to pause and take a breath. Okay, Breathe in. And I breathe out. And then I start looking for what's good in this moment. For example, Today I made an actual smoothie and drank it without guzzling it or hurrying out the door. I also happened to have both of my sons out of the house for a bit, And I folded a basket of laundry in peace watching a total garbage show. I talked to my best friend on the phone while I walked my dog. And if you're really struggling with your thoughts and everything seems to be coated in thick gray anxiety, Your gratitudes don't need to wow you. Maybe you can be grateful that you have fresh water to drink. Maybe you have a safe place to sleep. Maybe you had an Oreo cookie. So let's practice this together. If it feels comfortable, You can soften your gaze or allow your eyes to close. Take a slow breath in. And let it go. Again, Breathe in… and breathe out. One more time, Fill your lungs completely. And release it all the way. Now gently bring your attention to this moment. Not tomorrow or next week, Just this moment. Begin to think of a few things you're grateful for. And they don't have to be big. You don't need to impress anyone. Maybe you're grateful for a person or a pet who keeps you company. Maybe you're grateful for the break you've had or just the quiet of this very moment. Allow yourself to linger with each gratitude for a few seconds. Take another slow breath in. And as you breathe out, See if you can find one more thing to be thankful for. Notice how it feels in your body when your attention shifts from what could happen to what is already here. Breathe in. Breathe out. There is still time left in this day. There's still life happening right now. You don't need to give all that away to tomorrow. This is how you reset and train your own thoughts instead of letting them take over. Thank you so much for taking a moment to practice bringing yourself into the present moment. And finding some gratitude for what is right now. And whenever you need a moment to be reminded, I'll be right here.