How are you feeling now – right at this moment? Happy, sad, angry, calm, worried, carefree? It could be all of these emotions (and more).
Now try thinking about how you feel about them and whether – and how long – you imagine each one might last. There’ll be times when sadness seems so overwhelming that it’s impossible to believe it will ever fade or when happiness is so intense it’s inconceivable it will last for more than a few seconds. Sometimes it can be helpful to observe and track how you feel about emotions – how long they last and their intensity – because that way it’s possible to realise none of them lasts forever.
This can be useful at times when there’s a lot on, especially in revision season (sorry, we said it!) when anxiety about swotting up for tests seems to dominate 24/7. Try not to let it take centre stage. This anxiety, these tests – they’ll come and go. All you can do is your best. Revise in a way that suits your style of studying (we favour a musical backdrop here at Teen Breathe). And if it doesn’t go as hoped, which happens pretty often in life, there are always other options. We think of them as the equally fulfilling Plan B.