5 Emotions You Could Be Feeling Because of the Upcoming School Year

This article is written in partnership with Talang Dalisay. 
Header art by Shai Libunao

Here we are — a new school year is coming! There may be so many emotions that you could be feeling right now, and every single one of them is normal and more than okay. Don’t worry — even if you can’t figure out what you’re feeling, it doesn’t make you any less of a person.

But, we’re here to help you out! These are the five possible emotions you could be feeling before the school year arrives and how you can manage them:

1. Nervousness

It’s your body’s response when your mind perceives something to be a threat. To anyone who may be feeling this, school can be perceived as a threat because of past experiences or its unfamiliarity. Of course, there could be more reasons for it! 

“How is it different from anxiety disorder?” I’m glad you asked! Some symptoms of nervousness are faster heartbeat, quickened breathing, and increased alertness, while symptoms of anxiety could be more like trouble concentrating, fatigue, and trembling. The symptoms are not limited to these, but if you have been experiencing these for a long period of time, please seek professional help or call any of the hotlines listed at the end of this article.

You can manage nervousness by talking to someone you trust, using a relaxation technique (such as meditation and yoga,) and preparing for the school year by listing down things that excite you and illustrating how you can achieve all your goals. Doing these can reassure and relax you, and hopefully ease your nervousness and excite you!

2. Irritability

This emotion can be caused by life stress, and school can be a factor. If you’re experiencing irritability, you may have a hard time managing your emotions or tolerating the actions or the mere presence of people around you.

Some symptoms are mood swings, getting bothered by small things, and constant annoyance and agitation. It’s normal to get irritated sometimes, but please remember to not take it out on people! If you feel like it is getting unhealthy for you or if it has been ongoing for a while now, remember that there are always professionals who are willing to help you.

You can manage and minimize irritability by creating a regular sleep schedule. Your body and mind cannot function as well without sleep! If you feel like that isn’t enough, you can also exercise regularly. This provides many health benefits such as lowered risk in cardiovascular diseases and releases “happy hormones” that improve your mood.

3. Disinterest

Like the word implies, its meaning is having little to no interest in something. It can manifest through lack of motivation, isolation, and decreased activity. You could be completely indifferent to the upcoming school year because the past ones could have demotivated or bored you. This could have happened because of either getting overworked or the lack of interesting events.

This is completely different from depression! Disinterest may be one of its symptoms, but other symptoms also include persistent sad or “empty” feelings and suicidal thoughts and attempts. If these come in addition to your disinterest, seek appropriate help and don’t self-diagnose!

Managing your disinterest will probably be a challenge, especially if you’re completely unmotivated. A great way to combat it is to make your own plans and goals, then go at your own pace.

4. Pessimism

Pessimism is the usual anticipation and inclination towards a negative outcome in situations. If you have been to school multiple times before or have an idea of what it’s like, then you may feel like you won’t like what’s coming up, especially after the previous online school year.

Having a realistic approach on things isn’t wrong, but negativity should never consume you! When you’re pessimistic, you’re prone to feelings of boredom and annoyance. While these are normal feelings, remember to keep them in moderation.

Dealing with pessimism is hard, but you have to acknowledge all of your difficult emotions and negative thoughts. When you do that, it will be a lot easier to deal with what you’re feeling. Then, shift your focus to something positive or neutral like being able to study in the comforts of your home or designing your virtual planner. This will help you create a new perspective and minimize your pessimism!

5. Determination

This is a positive-approach emotion that is fueled by emotion. While school may often be associated with negative feelings, you may think of the approaching school year differently! Thinking that you can make this year different can be an example of this emotion manifesting.

Determination is relatively easy to spot. Do you feel like you are motivated? Has your mindset been more positive than usual? Have you been able to work for long periods of time lately? If so, you’re probably determined because of the upcoming school year!

This emotion is a great one to have! If you do have this, you can make use of this by writing down and verbalizing your goals. Remember to not overwork yourself even though you may feel very ready to take on loads of work. If you don’t have this emotion, that’s also okay! You don’t have to force yourself to feel determined. Accept your emotions and find ways to manage it as we’ve mentioned above!

Wrapping Up

As you face the new school year ahead, know that there’s a variety of emotions that you could be feeling. If you don’t quite feel like your emotion isn’t one of those five, that’s okay. It’s okay to be unable to figure it out first. But after some reflection, we hope that you’ll be able to understand and accept whatever you’re feeling! There’s nothing to be ashamed of: whether it’s for seeking professional help or feeling your emotions. All of these are extremely valid, and we’re glad you’re doing what’s best for yourself.

We hope that this has helped you in some way! Here’s to S.Y. 2021-2022!

Hotlines & Resources

If you need help or are in an emergency, you can contact these hotlines:

• National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotlines: 0917-899-8727 or (02) 7-989-8727 for mental health-related concerns
• In Touch Community Services Crisis Lines: (02) 8-893-7603 or 0917-800-1123 or 0922-893-8944 for relationship problems, addiction, abuse, and other emotional concerns
• Living Free Foundation: 0917-883-3161 for addiction, individual, and marital counseling
• For more hotlines, resources, and services: go to  http://www.silakbo.ph/help/