Beat the Burnout: Back-to-School Mental Health Tips for Students and Parents
Can you believe summer is already over? With school back in session, it’s easy to get overwhelmed from new schedules, homework, and getting back into a routine. Start the school year strong with these simple back-to-school mental health tips for students and parents. Learn how to reduce stress, ease anxiety, and support emotional wellness all year long.
Why Back-to-School Season Impacts Mental Health
We all love the freedom of summer: not having to wake up as early, beach vacations, summer camp, and no homework. It’s a much needed break from the grind of the school year.
However, as necessary as this break can be, said freedom can make the transition back into the school year challenging for parents and students alike. Getting back into a routine can be emotionally taxing when you have to figure out new schedules, carpools, make time for upcoming teacher-parent conferences, get ready to start at a new school, prep for college applications, and so on.
According to a study shared by Understood.org, many parents negatively feel the pressure of the school year:
53% of parents of children under 18 agree that back-to-school season is the most stressful time of year.
48% of parents of children under 18 say that the stigma surrounding neurodiversity is stronger than ever.
94% parents of neurodivergent children say that something about back-to-school season causes them stress or anxiety, including 23% who report stress or anxiety about managing their child's IEP (Individualized Education Program).
33% of parents who have children under the age of 18 report being stressed, and 30% report feeling anxious.
Similarly, in a 2024 study of 1,500 high school students, Brainly reports:
72% of students surveyed were stressed about returning to school.
72.6% of students are worried about having too much homework this fall, up from 57% in 2023.
15% of students felt stressed about social dynamics
37.8% of students were stressed about the struggle of adapting to an early morning routine
Overall, 36.2% of students felt underprepared for the 2024 school year.
Whether you’re a stressed student or an overwhelmed parent, there are various ways you can practice mental wellness to reduce negative feelings about the back-to-school season and to keep yourself in check all school year.
How to Reduce School Anxiety as a Student
Regardless if you’re a high school student, college student, or even a graduate student, these 3 simple tips can help you reduce stress and avoid burnout.
1. Create a Calm and Consistent Routine
Regular sleep, meals, and study times are hallmark traits of a good routine. Bonus points if you can fit regular exercise into your schedule, too. Routines can help reduce school anxiety because they create predictability, stability, and a sense of control, making it easier to manage stress.
2. Build Emotional Resilience
Learning positive self-talk is imperative to student mental wellness. Positive self-talk can positively impact both our physical and mental wellbeing, increasing confidence, contributing to better emotional regulation, and improving resilience.
Additionally, learning how to navigate mistakes is an important part of growing up. Mistakes happen and it’s important to not treat these mistakes like they’re the end of the world. Instead, accept what went wrong as part of the learning process, learn from that mistake, and incorporate that knowledge to improve and hopefully not make the same mistake again.
Grounding exercises and mindfulness practices can also help build emotional resilience. These include things like meditation, stretching, and going for a walk.
3. Limit Over-Scheduling
Limiting overscheduling is crucial for students at any academic level. While studying, completing assignments, and joining activities matter, rest and self-care are just as important if not more. Schedule regular downtime, learn to say no without guilt, and communicate openly about your limits. Using a calendar or planner can help you stay organized and avoid taking on too much.
Recognizing the signs of student burnout are also important. These symptoms manifest as chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, a decline in academic performance, increased irritability, withdrawal from social activities, and headaches or sleep disturbances.
By creating a consistent routine, building emotional resilience, and limiting over-scheduling, students can prevent burnout and manage their stress around school year round.
Mental Health Tips for Parents During Back-to-School
The back-to-school season can be just as stressful for parents as it is for students, with its own challenges, changing routines, and emotional demands. These three mental health tips can help parents of students at any age feel more prepared, supported, and less overwhelmed during the transition.
1. Acknowledge Your Own Stress
Parents, especially mothers, carry an invisible load when it comes to their families. The "invisible load" refers to the unseen, unacknowledged, and unpaid work of managing a household and family, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional labor. It includes planning, organizing, and anticipating needs of all family members before they even realize that they need something.
For parents managing the invisible load, it’s important to tend to your own emotions first. Acknowledging your stress is the first step toward managing it. Take time to do things that recharge you, and don’t be afraid to take breaks. Ask your family to share responsibilities where possible. Mental wellness is a team effort, and you don’t have to carry it all alone.
2. Foster a Safe, Supportive Home Environment
A safe and supportive home environment benefits the entire family. Calm mornings can help set the day up for success, while having a peaceful space to unwind after school can help students and parents alike unwind and decompress. These routines don’t have to be perfect—they just need to feel consistent and comforting.
Creating space for feelings is an important part of this environment. Whether emotions are shared through open conversations, play, art, or quiet reflection, what matters most is that each family member feels seen and heard. When families make room for feelings without judgment, they build trust, deepen connection, and create a true sense of emotional safety at home
3. Practice Realistic Expectations
Being realistic about what you and your family can achieve in a day or in a week is essential for managing back-to-school stress and anxiety. It’s easy to get caught up in packed schedules, high expectations, and the pressure to 'do it all'. That mindset often leads to burnout.
Instead, focus on progress over perfection. Celebrate small wins, acknowledge effort, and create a home culture that values learning and growth rather than flawless performance. Encouraging a growth mindset helps children understand that mistakes are a natural part of learning, and it gives parents permission to extend that same grace to themselves.
Try to prioritize what truly matters: quality time, emotional well-being, and manageable routines that support mental health.
Signs Students and Parents Should Seek Professional Mental Health Support
Stress and anxiety can show up in both students and parents in similar ways: trouble sleeping, mood swings, irritability, withdrawal, or in students, a refusal to go to school. These signs can often be brushed off as part of the back-to-school adjustment, but they may indicate a deeper need for support. If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed, seeking therapy for back-to-school stress can make a meaningful difference.
A licensed mental health professional can help students build emotional resilience, develop coping strategies, and navigate academic and social pressures with more confidence. For parents, therapy can provide space to process your own stress, improve communication within the family, and support your child’s mental health more effectively.
At Mae Mental Wellness, we offer a range of mental wellness services tailored to meet the needs of both students and parents in Colorado, Florida, Montana, and New Hampshire. Whether you're looking to ease school anxiety, strengthen your family's emotional well-being, or simply need support during the transition, we're here to help you feel heard, supported, and equipped.
To book an appointment at Mae Mental Wellness, you can fill out this form or call (561) 231-0233. Learn more about the services we offer and which insurance carriers we accept.
Final Thoughts on Back-to-School Mental Wellness
Back-to-school season can be stressful, but proactive small steps can make a world of a difference. Students can reduce anxiety by sticking to routines, building emotional resilience, and avoiding overscheduling. Parents can tackle anxiety head on by acknowledging their own stress, creating a calm home environment, and setting realistic expectations for themselves and families.
It’s okay to ask for help. No one has to navigate this transition alone, and emotional well-being matters more than perfection. Whether you’re a stressed student or parent, give yourself patience and grace as you settle into this new school year.
