Going Back to School After Remote Learning

This post is based on general experiences and is not intended to act as mental health advice. Please reach out to a professional if you need it.

Online schooling may have been hard for many reasons, and yet, at least, it ended up acquiring a sense of familiarity after stretching for so long. We could feel the effects of the lack of social interaction, and yet the advantages of flexibility were becoming evident. As COVID-19 restrictions loosen in many countries, schools open, being a sign of relief for many. But for some, it's associated with anxiety due to hampered schedules and the sudden escape from a comfortable bubble.

Identify what is really making you anxious.

What about physical school makes you feel the way it does? Chances are that in many cases, the answer stems from things that should not be actually happening in the first place. If, for instance, remote learning gave you a sense of safety or comfort, you should be getting those in your school anyway. Reach out to a teacher or a counsellor or just any adult you can trust, work out your concerns, and maybe school won't feel as intimidating or scary after all. Even if the issue has nothing to do with your school per se, talking about how you are feeling may still help take some load off your shoulders.

What about my productivity?

Remote learning generally adds more time to your day, and seeing it slip away could lead to stress and less productivity. The pattern you have started getting used to seems to be getting disrupted, so it's not too far-fetched to feel that way. But you did it earlier, and there is no reason you cannot do it again, even if adjusting to it takes time.  Perhaps, view the time you see as wasteful in a different light; maybe the time you now spend while travelling could actually help you unwind after a hectic day. And regardless of what you do, try not to be too hard on yourself for not meeting your expectations or getting the same amount of work done.

For a lot of people, this change may mean nothing at all, and that may make you feel somewhat embarrassed about how it affects you. But you don't need to justify your emotions, just experience and process to feel whole. It's okay to be anxious about something that makes others pleased. You aren't like anyone else, your experiences may be different, and even if people say otherwise, that's absolutely okay! <3