at school,when i walk in the gates in the morning,i feel like everyone's staring at me and when i hear people laughing or giggling behind me,i always fidget with my skirt or bag to check if theres something about me theyre laughing about.also,sometimes at night i start randomly crying and i feel my heart hurting a little and i dont know why.when i try to talk to someone about it,they just tell me that its normal and every teenager has anxiety and it stresses me out even more because i need some sort of comfort and they arent giving me it.
Sam
Hi there,
Feeling self-conscious at school is something many people go through. It can feel overwhelming when you’re worried about being judged and even everyday situations can be hard. Whatever’s happening, you deserve support.
Whether people are actually staring and laughing or not, feeling like they are can have a big effect on you. These feelings can build up over time, so it’s natural you’d have times when you get tearful or get a tight feeling in your chest. Finding new ways to cope, express, and challenge these feelings can help you feel less anxious and more in control.
Anxiety can feel different for different people so it can take time to find coping techniques that work for you. There are lots of things you can try, here are some you can do right now:
Building your confidence and self-esteem can help you feel less self-conscious in the future. Changing how you feel about yourself can take time and we have advice and tips on how to bring out your confidence. The Calm Zone can be another helpful tool for different techniques to try when feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
Talking to an adult about anxiety can be hard when things have been dismissed as “normal.” When you feel anxious at school, talking to a teacher or school nurse is always an option. Writing down what you want to say can mean it’s easier than saying the words out loud. It can also help you express yourself and get the right help and support at school.
Take care,
Sam
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