How to be more confident at school

It's totally normal to feel a little nervous when starting at a new school.

Being told 'not to worry' and that you should be feeling confident isn't always easy, especially in new situations and surroundings.

Having confidence in yourself is something adults struggle with too and it can take time to build.

Dr Amir shares his advice on how to be more confident ahead of your first day at school.

How to build confidence

Here are Dr Amir's three top tips to building confidence.

1. Visualise success - Picture yourself in your mind walking into school chatting to someone new and finding your classroom. Your brain gets used to what it thinks and imagines. If you think about a positive picture in your head, this can help you manage better for when the real life situation happens.

2. Do a practice run - If you can, why not visit your new school in advance? Familiarity reduces nerves, so if you can travel or walk the route to school ahead of your first day, this will help you feel less nervous.

3. Get organised - Pack your bag and get your uniform out ready the night before school. Feeling prepared ahead of your first day makes a huge difference.

How to reduce nervousness and anxiety

Even when we're trying to be more confident, sometimes nerves just happen and that's OK.

Anxiety can occur when we step into an unknown situation, try something new or we have to deal with changes… and starting a new school is a BIG CHANGE that happens in our lives.

Dr Amir explains what our brain does when we feel nervous. He says: "The truth is you are much more ready than you think" and how sometimes, what we think in our minds… isn't always true.

Nerves don't mean something is wrong, they can just mean something is new – Dr Amir

It's normal to feel anxious in a new environment. Any nervous or anxious feelings should "fade away over time" as you become more familiar with your new school, according to Dr Amir.

He says: "If your anxiety doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, then it's always worth talking to a parent or a teacher about how you are feeling."

And before you start your new school, remember Dr Amir's STEP.

• S for Sleep. The better you'll sleep, the better you'll feel.
• T for Together. You and all the other new students are all in this together.
• E for Emotions. You're allowed to feel all the emotions that come with changing schools. Why not talk to someone about it?
• P for Prepared. Take control of the things you can control. Prepare your bag, uniform, practice your route and plan your morning routine to help you feel calmer before your first day.

Remember BBC Bitesize is with you during your school journey and take it one step at a time!

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 Childline, 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 the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.