Sapping Away at Stress

A teen sits at the computer, typing away at a computer. It’s dark outside; the numbers 2:15 sit at the top of the phone screen at their elbow, but they have several paragraphs left and this essay is due tomorrow.

This scene is very common in high schoolers today. Whether stressed from homework, studying, or an overload of extracurricular activities, many teens feel overloaded by the workload they develop in their daily life.

“I tend to stay up late worrying over schoolwork a lot. It’s really starting to tire me out.” One sophomore said.

Keeping this workload under control can take time out of social lives or sleep schedules, which leads to the teen being even more stressed and tired the following day.

The most pressing question for teens is how to keep up with this workload without cutting out other aspects of their lives. Advisory periods in which they are free to work on academics certainly help students catch up on homework, but what else can they do to help themselves not feel overwhelmed?

When asked how she managed stress, one sophomore said, “I ignore it till it goes away.”

There are, of course, the obvious. Eat well. Sleep more. Exercise. All of the things heard from the adults in their lives over and over.

Eliminating unnecessary studying could prove useful. For example, rather than studying every bit of material for an upcoming test, students could take a practice test, then study only the material they are unsure of or which pertained to questions they got wrong. That way, they’re improving their grade without expending more time or energy than they really need to.

Even doing something as small as spending a little time to yourself and doing nothing can be a great destressor.

As one student said, “I listen to Sleeping at Last music and mess around on my laptop.”

Whatever stress you’re dealing with, it’s best to find some way to release it before it begins to take a toll on your health. Deal with your homework as efficiently as possible and take a little time for yourself when you begin to get overwhelmed.