San Antonio, TEXAS — The beginning of the school year is filled with new experiences, from meeting new friends and teachers to learning class schedules and morning routines. Things can move fast and before you know it, you’ve settled into daily school life.
This school year, we want you to pause, take it all in, and bookmark this page if you need support.
To start, take a moment to see that everyone is trying their best to adjust to new environments and meet new challenges. There will be times when you don’t get it right, or your friends don’t get it right, and that’s okay.
UT Teen Health, a program housed at UT Health San Antonio that provides teen-focused health training and support to the community, put together six quick tips to help you have a healthy school year.
Make Time for Preparation
No matter where you are in the school year, you can set up a nightly and morning routine to help you feel as ready as possible for navigating busy school days. Prioritizing sleep, pre-making healthy lunches, moving your body, setting up study hours, and limiting screen time can help you feel rested, organized, and ready to tackle the day.
Learn to Manage School Stress
Not surprisingly, your school life will have stress, and that feeling of stress, pressure or worry can affect your mind and/or body. It is important to remember that stress is a normal response to life’s changes, pressures, and challenges. On the positive side, these emotions can help motivate you to get ready for what’s ahead, according to Nemours Teen Health, which is part of a pediatric health system. At UT Teen Health, our health educators focus on helping teens learn how to build resilience, a skill that helps you better cope with stressors throughout life. One of the resources we recommend is UT Teen’s Project Yes, a partnership with Northwestern University and Koko that provides evidence-based, online learning modules for teens who may be feeling anxiety and stress. Project YES shows participants different ways of dealing with stress through real life stories, interactive activities and examples.
Find more tips and information on everything from Keeping Stress in Check to Talking to a Therapist on Nemours Teen Health.
Practice Healthy Social Media Use
When you’re feeling bored, lonely, exhausted or worried, one of the easiest things to do is to open an app for an instant distraction. Before turning to a screen, try prioritizing activities such as getting outside, reading, listening to music, or playing sports. Remember, you are in control of your social media use. Check out these Tips for Teens: Healthy Social Media Use from the University of Utah.
Learn to Ask for Help or Support
It’s never too early to ask for help or support when you are dealing with a difficult change, issue or situation at school or at home. You can talk to your parents about your feelings and concerns. If you don’t feel comfortable going to them, you can identify other trusted adults such as a school nurse, counselor, or teacher who can help. If you need tips on how to start those conversations, visit Nemour Teen Health’s article on Asking for Help: Getting Past Obstacles.
Cultivate Healthy Relationship Skills
Relationships are a big part of life, whether it is a relationship with a parent, sibling, friend, teammate or romantic partner. Learning how to recognize the traits of a healthy relationship, as well as the signs of an unhealthy relationship, is an important first step. The good news is that we can all build healthy relationship skills, from communication to emotional regulation (your ability to manage big feelings—like anger, sadness, or excitement—so they do not overwhelm you), no matter your age. Find tips for a healthy relationship here.
Stay on Top of Your Health
One key to good health is knowing and engaging in the four dimensions of preventive health — check-ups and screenings, vaccines, mental health and lifestyle. For teens (and parents of teens), it is important to know what you need for your specific stage of life, including vaccines that can prevent certain types of cancer (HPV vaccine). The roadmap can also guide you on what conversations you may want to have with a health provider, such as talks about body changes, acne treatment and/or risky behaviors. Visit the Health Confianza’s roadmap for kids and teens to help you and your parents know what to do.
These tips are sourced from Nemours KidsHealth and the American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use and Health Confianza.org. If you have feelings of depression, stress or strain, seek immediate support from a parent, school nurse or trusted adult. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, call 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).
Jennifer Todd San Pedro, RN, JD, director of UT Teen Health, reviewed this article for medical accuracy.