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Navigating school life can be pretty tough, whether you're tackling a tough subject, dealing with a friendship faux-pas or battling exam exhaustion – it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But with some good guidance and a few helpful hints those worries can be minimised. Enter our school-savvy experts.

Content creator Lee Hinchcliffe and teacher Chloe are in this video to set you up with some top tips that will help you feel less overwhelmed by school. Once you've watched, we've got some more ideas to help you feel more chill at school – just keep scrolling.

Tips to overcome overwhelm

If you're looking for some additional tips to tackle that overwhelming feeling head-on, we've got some extra help. These tips are all about finding balance in your school life and keeping your cool.

Planning made perfect

Okay, so you don't have to be perfect, but getting your homework done on time is a good start. Staying organised is key: creating a homework timetable helps spread homework tasks out across the week and avoid cramming.

Our homework heroes suggest that you should try to do your homework on the day it's set, or maybe you'd prefer to tackle your homework at school in the library? The library is quiet, full of resources like books and computers, and if your school has a homework club you might meet new friends, and benefit from the support of a teacher.

Balancing act

It’s normal to have commitments outside of school. You might help to care for a family member or take part in sports or other hobbies, but sometimes it can be hard to fit everything in with your school work. If you find yourself with too much to do and too little time, there are likely to be helpful solutions – speak to a trusted adult and get some support. Check out this guide for more tips on finding that sweet study-life balance.

Turn setbacks into comebacks

Failed a test or got a result that's less than your best? Put a positive spin on it. Use the disappointment to encourage you to achieve better next time. Ask for feedback from your teacher, and use it to kickstart your motivation.

Secondary school is about the journey towards the amazing young adult you'll become. Often, failure leads to success – and your positive vibes will help get there.

Stay safe online

The internet can be a fantastic place, but staying safe is crucial. Unpleasant stuff can be shared through group chats or you might see something online that causes you to worry – and that's no fun.

Be selective about which group chats you join. Remember, anything you share online can be screenshotted and shared, so only send things you're happy to go public and make sure you understand how you can block and report accounts on social media that are breaking the rules. If a group chat turns sour, make your exit and speak to a trusted adult. Make sure your search settings are suitable for your age and if you do see something that makes you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, talk to a trusted adult about it so they can give you some support.

Attendance matters

After the disruptions during the pandemic, you might be finding it more challenging to attend school. But it’s super important to attend as much as you possibly can. Skipping can leave you falling behind with your work, which can add to the feelings of anxiety when you do return.

Take a step back to think why. Maybe double Geography on a Friday is tough? Or you would do anything to avoid PE? Have a think about why you aren’t wanting to go to school and then chat to a trusted adult who’ll be able to help you. Often, little changes can make a big difference in helping you get to school.

If you're worried about going to school, chat with a trusted adult who can reach out to school and explain how you're feeling. There's likely to be a member of staff who's trained to help you improve attendance. They might tweak your timetable, talk about moving forms, provide you with a quiet space to learn, or give you a buddy to support you between lessons.

Remember, there are times that school can feel overwhelming, but don't worry – there's lots of support out there from family, teachers and friends to help you feel more chill and worry less about the things that are making you feel stressed. For more tips on how to navigate your way through school life, check out our study skills page.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact , where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on ����ý Action Line.