No. Once I went in the forest near my home when I was on the brick of failing my year of study in college (a big deal where I’m from it would set me back a year of life basically and in my circle would have been very hard especially to my parents).

As I grew older, for light stuff I’d gravitate toward videogames and for heavier stuff I’d just be stuck in bed doomscrolling.

I have a closet in my home office. On the floor of it is a sleeping mat and soft blanket as the base, and I have a weighted blanket on top. When I start getting overwhelmed (or just need a quick mid-day nap) I’ll go in there, close the door, and lie down for a bit. It’s isolated and quiet.

When my cat hears that door open she will rush to be included, and will cuddle with me.

You should see a therapist if you can! They’ll provide better advice than we can

The forest … preferably as far away from any other human as possible.

I have a wilderness cottage, it’s not extravagant, just simple and small. I go there alone sometimes just to get away from people and technology.

I think that the closest that I had at school was the library. Even decades later I am still happy when surrounded by books.

Otherwise, somewhere green: walking in woodland or sitting by a stream always improves things.

Anywhere my pets are. Without my dog I wouldnt have made it through college. The off leash dog park was our stress free zone.

Sorry things feel overwhelming right now. Especially when you’re doing the right thing, reaching out. You got this.

I go sit in my car. Can you ask your teacher for a pass to the library? If the library doesn’t work, go to the school nurse. Tell them you’re struggling and you need a quiet place to be alone for s few minutes and regroup.

I could never find 1 spot in school that was consistantly safe for me to retreat to for any period of time. Instead I had multiple spots all over where I’d retreat to for short time frames. If one wasn’t available, I could move on to the next one without getting too upset.

Friend, I’m sending you hugs, and if you’re open to it I’d strongly recommend building meditation skills. Therapy is a must if you want to understand why you feel this way, but meditation can help a lot in the meantime. I wish you the best, and hope you find somewhere safe to breathe today ❤️

You can learn to meditate anywhere.

It’s like any other skill, you have to put some effort in at the start, but the results are worth it.

You don’t need meditation tapes, candles, or anything else.

Find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes and try to find a quiet spot in your mind. A beach or a mountain top or grandma’s kitchen; wherever you feel most serene.

You can just count “one, two one, two” as you breath in and out.

Just try to keep your thoughts quiet for ten seconds to start. Then work up to 30 seconds, and then a minute.

Library

Have you tried a physical outlet for these emotions? Hit the gym, or put on some headphones and go for a long run. Running can be very meditative and you can do it pretty much anywhere.

Blanket+dog+floor of small closet.

A crowd where you can be one of many so noone pays attention to you. In my school there was always a huge line in the cafeteria so I’d sometimes go stand there and buy only a piece of gum as an excuse. It won’t help if you want to cry but it helps to feel invisible for a bit.

You might try finding a classroom or area that isn’t being used on a consistent basis. So maybe the band practice area or an arts/crafts class or library or some place, you may want to check with a teacher beforehand. It can be hard with school though, depending on how locked down they have you. For myself personally when I was in school 20+ years ago, I was able to retreat into myself with headphones and music, I was able to block everyone around me out no matter where I was at. Sometimes you can even just walk the halls, walking by itself has been my go-to therapy methods, just walk away and get a change of scenery for awhile. Everyone needs mental health breaks if things are getting overwhelming.

Also, remember that school essentially stops mattering after you get out. Yes, it’s important to graduate and get a diploma, but you’re likely to rarely see those same people ever again after you graduate. I’m 43 and I still have days like that where it feels like no one cares, and I’ve got a partner with kids, it’s tough sometimes.

You make think that you are in the safe spot, but the safe spot is in you. Be at peace with yourself, and the only then can you be at peace with all that is around you.