Going Back to School Later in Life

This past September my mother, at age 70-something, returned to graduate school after a 40-year career in interior design. Going back to school brought great joy to her life. She loved learning and being part of a collegiate community with its accompanying youthful energy and enthusiasm. But she also experienced high anxiety about grades, keeping up with the workload, reading small print with her failing eyesight, and getting to class in bad weather.

When I went back to school at age 39, I also remember feeling both excitement and fear. My mind raced with questions: will I be able to study and do well while maintaining my family responsibilities? Will I be the oldest in my class? Will I still have the focus to study after all these years? Will the classes be interesting? Is it worth the money that school costs? Will it lead to a better life? I had many hopes and dreams but also the fear of failure, dread of embarrassment, and anxiety about all the unknowns.

Doing something new is always hard, even when it’s for the better. We feel change deep in our bodies. It is normal when doing something new to feel out of sorts or out of control, anxious and sometimes downright terrified.

Going back to school later in life is a thrilling proposition. We embrace school on our own terms, picking and choosing exactly what we want to study instead of what our parents and teachers chose for us. Plus it is exciting to stimulate the mind with new ideas. Our brains seek novelty like our stomachs seek food. Learning is nourishing. We meet new people. And we are given hope to advance ourselves both personally and professionally.

To make the most of this transition we must learn to take care of our fears and insecurities while striving to meet our new goals. So how can we effectively manage the challenges that returning to school involves so we enjoy the experience and function well? I advocate three daily practices:

1. Write down your goals and read them often.
   The brain has a tendency to go negative. From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that the brain formed to be vigilant for danger and assess for the worst possible outcome. But in modern times, the brain’s negative bias can lead us down a road to worry. Anytime we try something new, we have to fight off our brain’s natural tendency to look for danger. One very simple way to outsmart the brain is to have a written list of the reasons you are going back to school and review it all the time.
2. Be self-aware.
   Awareness is the most powerful tool we have to keep ourselves calm. We cannot tend to our fears if we don’t first realize we have them. Fears can manifest in all sorts of disguised thoughts and behaviors.

   Lack of awareness can lead to unhelpful behaviors such as procrastination. Procrastination is like the tip of an iceberg. The conflicts and emotions are the part of the iceberg you cannot easily see. But emotions and conflicts drive thoughts and behaviors. We have to look inside ourselves to find out what’s really going on at deeper levels. Once aware, we can tend to our feelings and see what they need to calm down.

   Labeling and validating emotions is key to not letting them rule you. Never judge your thoughts and feelings. Instead, accept them unconditionally so you can work with them.

3. Relax.
   A calm nervous system leads to a wise brain. In contrast, the brain does not allow us to think clearly when emotions run high. Anxiety hinders logical thought and generates worries, which often causes us to act in ways contrary to our best interest. There are many techniques that all of us can learn to calm down when we are triggered into upset states.

   One quick way to calm down is to get out of your head to immediately stop negative thoughts and worries. You switch your focus to the soles of your feet, noticing what they feel like as they make contact with the ground. Breathe deeply into your stomach five or six times, exhaling longer than you inhale. Imagine a place you find calm and soothing. Give yourself a hug (literally wrap your arms around yourself) or ask someone you know to hug you. Praise yourself for going back to school and being so courageous for trying something new. These techniques all serve to calm your nervous system.

Returning to school is a wonderful way to improve and grow both personally and professionally. No doubt it adds stress to your life. Ensure your success by doing whatever you can to manage your fears. Growth is always synonymous with struggle. And real courage is doing something in the face of fear.

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from World of Psychology http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/05/19/going-back-to-school-later-in-life/