Caring for Cognition: 8 Steps for Middle & High School Students to Prioritize Healthy Thinking in the New School Year

Summer is at its close, and with it, the school year feels like it’s sprinting toward you at full speed. For many students, the return to school can stir up anxiety about social pressures, academic demands, and the many unknowns of what the year will bring. These stressors can impact your cognition, meaning your ability to think, reason, judge, and problem solve. Healthy cognition is critical for learning, so it’s important to start the school year with the right mindset and tools to care for your cognitive abilities. 

So how can a student care for their cognition as they return to school?

1. Get ahead, stay ahead

Picking up a structured schedule after two months of flexible routines is no easy task. However, establishing a regular schedule and self-care routine before the school year starts can put you far ahead of the curve. Getting enough sleep, adjusting to earlier mornings, and reserving daily time for healthy eating, physical activity, and personal hygiene will strengthen your ability to think clearly and retain what you learn. 
Staying ahead also requires thinking beyond the first few weeks of school. Recording test dates, making note of office hours, and reviewing the demands of end-of-year projects are great ways to remain on top of schoolwork and prevent feeling overwhelmed. If you’re preparing for college entrance exams and have a condition that impacts your testing ability, getting an early start on applying for test accommodations can help you approach your exams with confidence.

2. Nurture your self-image

Intentionally building up your self-image can strengthen your ability to manage challenges that arise throughout the year. Starting each day with positive affirmations, actively avoiding negative self-talk, and making time for enjoyable hobbies can help reduce the stressors that impair cognition.

3. Get social

Caring for your ability to think takes more than non-stop studying. All students have social needs, as supportive friends and significant others can help us feel understood, connected, and motivated. When social needs are unmet, it can be difficult for students to focus and retain information in school. Engaging in extracurriculars, designating time for friend “hang outs,” or joining a study group can enhance one’s mood and mental alertness to fully engage in school.

4. Push for good grades… responsibly

Good grades are, well, good! Every student should pursue high grades, but they should also be careful not to push themselves so hard that they jeopardize their well-being. Students who view anything below perfection as a failure face damaging repercussions to their mental health, social life, and cognitive functioning. Remind yourself that while it’s great to aim high, the occasional low grade or unmet goal are not the end of the world and do not define you as a person.

5. Be open to talking it out

As you return to school, you may face personal or academic challenges that you are uncomfortable bringing up to your friends or parents. School counselors and school psychologists can provide supportive guidance to manage obstacles and reach academic goals. Seeking appointments with your school’s counselor and/or psychologist can help you process your thoughts, work through challenges, and reduce stressors that can impair your cognitive functioning.

6. Beat the bullies

For some students, the beginning of the school year can also be the beginning of being targeted by a class bully. Few stressors can be more disruptive to a student’s cognition and well-being than the constant threat of a bully’s maltreatment. If you find yourself being targeted by a bully, learn about your school’s policies and resources for bullying prevention, and check out our 10 tips to keep safe from bullies

7. Manage test anxiety

Tests are the education system’s primary tool for assessing what you know (no pressure, right?). You learn, you study, you take and pass a test, done! But test anxiety can impair cognitive functioning, causing students to underperform on tests despite knowing the subject matter. Caring for your cognition means performing acts of self-care leading up to tests, so that you are in the best place (mentally and physically) to perform well. Practicing affirmations, visualizations, exercising, and balancing time between test prep and relaxation can help prevent test anxiety.

8. Understand your uniqueness

Every student’s cognitive abilities are unique, with each individual having both strengths and challenges that can impact their learning experience. Students with learning disabilities , neurological conditions , or processing disorders may face numerous barriers to achieving optimal cognitive functioning in typical classroom settings. If you have a condition that impacts your learning, a psychologist can provide you with guidance on strategies to use and accommodations to seek that will promote healthy cognitive functioning.

A consultation with Variations could be the first step toward overcoming barriers in your academic career. Schedule your consultation below to learn about educational consulting.

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Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays. 

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References:

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Shinn. M.M. (2020). 10 Signs You’ve Been “Adulting” with a Processing Disorder. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/10-signs-a-processing-disorder-is-behind-your-career-struggles 

Shinn. M.M. (2019). 10 Tricks for Talking Back and Keeping Safe from Bullies. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/10-tricks-for-talking-back-and-keeping-safe-from-bullies 

Shinn, M.M. (2018). Accommodations for College Entrance Exams: What Parents Need to Know. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/does-my-child-need-accommodations-for-the-sat-act

Shinn, M.M. (2018). The Final Semester Survival Guide: 13 Tips for College Students Who Just Want it to be Over. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/the-final-semester-survival-guide-13-tips-for-college-students-who-just-want-it-to-be-over 

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Shinn. M.M. (2021). My Kid is a Perfectionist - Blessing or Curse? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/my-kid-is-a-perfectionist-blessing-or-curse 

Shinn. M.M. (2021). My Kid Refuses to Go to School – What Could be the Cause? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/my-kid-refuses-to-go-to-school-what-could-be-the-cause 

Shinn. M.M. (2019). “My Teen is Dating – What Do I Do?” Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/test-blog/my-teen-is-dating-what-do-i-do 

Shinn. M.M. (2020). School Psychologists & School Counselors - What’s the Difference? Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/school-psychologists-school-counselors-whats-the-difference 

Shinn, M.M. (2018). Take the Stress Out of Tests! 11 Ways to Manage Test Anxiety. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/take-the-stress-out-of-tests-11-ways-to-manage-test-anxiety 

How to Cite This Blog Article:

Shinn. M.M. (2023). Caring for Cognition: 8 Steps for Middle & High School Students to Prioritize Healthy Thinking in the New School Year. Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/caring-for-cognition-8-steps-for-middle-high-school-students-to-prioritize-healthy-thinking-in-the-new-school-year