If you missed part one, check it out! I’ll wait.

After a day of hard work, friend drama, work and extra-curriculars, all I really want to do is lounge on the couch, watching Food Network until bedtime. This practice is exactly what made me stressed in the past – knowing I need to do work, but not having the energy to do it. Deciding not to do any study, even just one day out of the week, led to me being too stressed to work the next day, and the next – eventually it snowballed until I panicked and worked myself way too hard, just to get things done.

Doing some quick revision of the work you’ve covered every day or week means that the workload stays steady, instead of piling up and becoming insurmountable. Strike while the iron is hot, and save yourself from your own bad habits. You might also want to consider writing study notes early – compiling a stash of them from the beginning of term, maybe, or a month out from the exam – that way, when you need to get down and study, your notes are ready and waiting, and contain relevant information from when you were studying the topic.

School can be a great way to relax with friends, learn and have fun. For an anxious student, it can also be an incredible source of frustration, anxiety and stress. The most crucial thing to ensuring a good year is to find what works for you – what time of day you best study, how you can relax at the end of the day, what bad habits you need to sort out. Good grades and hard work a great – but all work and no play can mean serious issues for your mental health.

Have a great school year, guys.

Going back to school after almost a 7 week holiday, I find myself looking forward to settling back into the routine. Structure is one of the things about school that I do like – you sit in a classroom for 52 minutes, do your best work – repeat this a few times before a break, then continue. For 200 days a year.

But as I’m currently discovering, it’s also easy to feel stressed, nervous and overwhelmed at the idea of a new school year. Here are my best tips for surviving a new school year as a stressed student.

1. Before School Starts

This year, I’m choosing to be dedicated to reducing my school-related stress and anxiety. I have developed a habit over the years of failing to be properly organised – so when exam time rolls around, I lose it.

Being more organised is something I’ve always struggled with, and now I’ve found that doing just a few small things every day makes a massive difference to my stress. I have an alarm set on my phone to go off twice a day – reminding me to check my calendar and diary. Keeping these up to date with my life and each other helps me get on top of things early – I’m actually writing this post a few days in advance, because I knew I would be busy later.

Get a family friend to remind you of your organisation goals, or set an alarm like I have – and try to get into routine in a holiday or break, so that when school rolls around, you already have your routine going. The important thing is to build a habit, so being organised feels like routine, not a chore.

2. During the Term

In all my thinking about how I was going to de-stress my school year, I came up with a few definite things I need to practice while I’m at school.

The first is massively important but so difficult for pretty much everyone who is struggling with their mental health – talking to others. I always feel embarrassed or annoying when I speak to people about my stress, and that just isn’t right. I’ve decided to talk to one of my teachers right at the beginning of the year, and ask them to tell me when they see me starting to get stressed. I often don’t realise my own decline, and this way I already have support if I need it. Talk to someone you trust about keeping an eye out for you.

The second thing I need to work on is blatantly obvious, but something I struggle with – paying attention in class. My sister, Beanz, and I have very different study styles. She works hard in class and gets to relax at home, whereas I do the opposite. While I prefer to study in my own environment, talking to my friends instead of working hard in class means I study ridiculously hard at home and end up a panicky mess. Make the most of your time with your teachers, and there will be less to do at home when your favourite show is on.

Catch part two tomorrow!