Nervous to go back to school in person!

[FONT=""][COLOR=""][SIZE=""]I'm an incoming senior in High School, and I have not attended classes in person since the world shut down about a year and a half ago. Even though it's my last year of high school, I am very concerned about attending in person. Having to wear a mask for seven straight hours is uncomfortable to me. What are some tips on getting through this?[/size][/color][/font]

[Ennui.]

Hey,

I definitely understand how this can be tough!

If you’re allowed to wear any type of mask you want, maybe you can experience with different patterns to see which feels the most comfortable to you. For example, on hot days I have a hard time with certain fabrics but like how they fit around my ears. When it’s not as hot, other fabrics feel better. It may also help to find ones with cute patterns. It may not help with how they feel but at least they look nice!

In the lower grades the schools allow mask breaks. I’m not sure about higher grades but it’s worth looking into.

I know this sounds silly but maybe you can “practice” wearing the mask for longer periods. Increase the amount of time you wear the mask around your house to get used to wearing it for a longer amount of time.

If you have any friends who go to school with you, maybe you all can vent to each other. These are some weird times, so it can help to talk to people who understand what you’re going through.

You’ve got this!

[Rivière]

Does your school allow you to wear a mask bracket? They're a piece of plastic/silicone that you wear under your mask and over your mouth/nose which pretty much allows you, quite literally, extra breathing room.

I saw a guy on the train here wearing them pretty recently and they looked really handy as he was reading and wearing glasses. It helped prevent his glasses from fogging up so obviously it works.

If you're not sure on your school's policy, you could ask and see what your options are.

[Everglow.]

I can definitely understand your anxiety around returning to school after everything that has happened in the last couple of years. I like the idea of trying out different face mask styles and designs, as well as different fittings too. I had to wear a surgical mask at work for up to 9 hours a day sometimes and I understand that they're not always comfortable! If you wear glasses, I would suggest trying something without a nose clasp on it, as they feel far less uncomfortable without the extra pressure on your nose. Sometimes they can be more breathable too. You may be able to wear a face shield instead too. You would need to ask your school about if this is classed as face coverings where you are, but it's essentially a plastic shield which goes in front of your face and doesn't cause so much pressure on your face. This may be an option if the masks really aren't working for you, but I'd definitely ask to make sure!

I would definitely talk to your school too. If there is a support department there, have a chat about your concerns and find out what the schools policies are, and whether there is any support available to you too. It might help to have someone you can contact if you're struggling.

All in all, I'd say that the masks are a bit of a pain, but once you're used to them you stop thinking about it so much. I definitely struggled getting used to mine, but in the end I hardly knew it was there! It's definitely normal to be anxious and upset about all of this though, so please don't be too hard on yourself.

I hope that it all goes well.