Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Feeling anxious can be a natural way of coping with a situation or keeping your body safe. If it’s preventing you from living your full life though, it can help to get some extra support.

Missing school from anxiety can add to your already anxious feelings. School should be there to support your mental health and to help with any worries you have. Some young people have told us that missing it can make it harder to cope with their anxiety, but you’re not alone.

Telling your school how you are feeling and the impact your anxiety has can help them understand what it’s like for you. They can support you with school work, your schedule, and help provide extra support with your exams or study.

It’s great to have hopes for the future and it’s natural for it to feel overwhelming sometimes. Feeling like you’re disappointing others can feel tough, but the important thing is how you feel. You can be the person you want to be, and it can help to imagine yourself doing that job and being that person.

Writing a list with your hopes for the future can also be helpful and a gentle reminder about your goals. When you feel ready, look at your list and think what you can do to take small steps forward towards going for your dream.

There are lots of ways to keep taking care of your wellbeing. Allow yourself real space and time to reflect on how you feel. Writing your thoughts and feelings down can be helpful and our mood journals can help with that. The Childline Calm Zone is there for you too and has different ideas to help you to feel calmer.

Try sharing your worries and talking to other young people on the message boards, it’s a great place to share experiences and ideas for the future.

Take care,

Sam