Top tips for student mental health as they return to school

Returning to school can be exciting but also stressful, so experts at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have some important tips for how adults can help their children navigate this time with confidence and emotional well-being.

“Parents, teachers and caregivers have the greatest influence on a young person’s mindset and attitude, so it’s important that they serve as positive role models when trying to motivate students,” says Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D., Bryan-College Station, an AgriLife Extension mental health and well-being specialist in the agency’s Division of Family and Community Health.

Tip 1: Promote open communication

One of the most valuable things adults can do is create an environment where children feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings. Often, children are hesitant to talk to their parents or other adults about being nervous about starting a new school and worried about how others will perceive them and how they will do socially and academically.

“Talk to your child about their feelings about returning to school and find ways to support their concerns,” Mahadevan said. “Since COVID, many students still feel like they are academically behind or are not learning as much as they were before.”

For this reason, it is a good idea to ask open-ended questions every few days, such as: “What was the best thing about your day?” or “Is there anything that has been on your mind lately?”

Mahadevan said that listening without judgement and acknowledging their experiences can make a big difference. He added that it is important to be patient, calm and compassionate when trying to get young people to express their feelings.

“It usually takes a while for young people to open up and talk more openly about their feelings and mental health issues,” she said. “If your child senses that you are impatient or upset, they will be less willing to share their feelings and concerns in the future.”

Tip two: Promote positive coping strategies

Miquela Smith, AgriLife Extension health program specialist in the agency’s Disaster Assessment and Response Division in Lubbock, reiterated that feelings of anger, frustration and sadness are normal and healthy.

The time of starting school can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. A student’s fear of failure, change, socialization or other challenges can sometimes manifest as cynicism, anger or frustration. But adults can help students cope by understanding the root issues of their experience, Smith said.

“Accepting and processing emotions as we experience them is key to preventing ruminations and simmering thoughts in the long run,” Smith said. “Focus on helping students respond to negative emotions rather than reacting to them.”

She said that helping students practice mindfulness allows them to step back when they feel frustrated or overwhelmed and find the most productive response. This way, students can improve their behavior by replacing pessimism with optimism.

Tip three: Develop a healthy attitude

A healthy routine and structure can have an incredibly positive impact on mental health, especially during transitions like returning to school.

Mahadevan explained that parents can help their children reduce stress and frustration by making sure they are organized and by helping to create a distraction-free zone where they can focus on schoolwork.

Some additional tips for adults to help students develop a more positive attitude include:

• Talk openly about your own setbacks and how you turned them into growth opportunities.
• Encourage them to learn from mistakes and remind them that failure is a natural part of learning.
• Focus on how effort and consistency contribute to long-term personal growth.
• Support them in pursuing activities for which they are particularly passionate.
• Introduce them to simple self-help techniques, such as deep breathing, to help them reduce stress.
• Help them name and categorize their emotions so they can express their feelings more accurately.

Tip four: Promote self-acceptance and resilience

As a parent, teacher or caregiver, your influence can make a huge difference in a student’s confidence. Mahadevan said reminders and behaviors that show children you believe in them can help them learn self-confidence and self-acceptance.

“Ask them to think about and identify specific situations in which they have shown resilience in their day-to-day school life,” she said. “This can help students recognize their strengths and encourage positive behavior.”

Mahadevan said one way to get students to actively engage in self-knowledge and self-reflection is to ask them:

• Think about recent challenges and ask what strategies have been used to overcome them.
• Think back to recent frustrating moments and what you did to stay calm and motivated.
• Think back to a situation where you wanted to give up and ask yourself what motivated you to persevere.
• Identify something they tried when they were unsure of the possible outcomes and ask how it turned out.
• Visualize how positive self-talk or encouragement helped them overcome a challenge.

Howdy Health is a helpful resource

AgriLife Extension’s Family and Community Health Division helps Texans improve their lives through science-based educational programs designed to improve the overall health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

The agency’s Howdy Health site provides access to science-based mental health education that reduces risks, demonstrates how to build emotional resilience, and offers insights into developing supportive environments for better mental health.

In addition, AgriLife Extension offers a youth program called Mindful SELF, a six-week series that can be conducted both in and out of the classroom to support middle school-aged students in their social and emotional development.

Contact your local AgriLife Extension representative for information about this program and other helpful resources.