Mishka Kapoor ‘21
EE Staff Writer
The sound of your alarm clock pierces your ears and you open your eyes. It feels like you were sleeping for 5 minutes, and you groggily roll out of bed. After changing and getting ready for school, you realize you don’t have enough time to eat breakfast. So, you grab a granola bar and run out the door to catch the bus.
Finally, after a long 7 hours, the last bell rings. You want to celebrate, until you realize you have to go to sports practice. The thought makes you annoyed and even more exhausted. The practice is long and hard, and all you can think about is going home and sleeping. Once you get home, however, you can’t relax or because there is a big pile of homework sitting in your backpack. You groan and slowly begin the process.
All this? A normal high schooler’s routine. Sounds pretty rough, right? In fact, this is reality for most of the students in high school. There is a point when you can feel really frustrated and overwhelmed, and stress emanates from your feelings. You have absolutely no idea how to handle your situation. You’re stuck.
But what exactly is stress, anyway? Stress is a mental and emotional strain that you feel, due to pressure or difficult circumstances. It can hit you hard, but luckily, there are several things you can do to make your life that much easier.
1. Exercise. Doing any form of physical activity, like running or biking, will calm your nerves. Mayo Clinic states that “being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries.” Exercising releases hormones that improve your mood, leaving you feeling great and refreshed. Good exercise has even been linked to increased academic performance, so not only will it help you manage your stress, it will improve your grades!
2. Take breaks. Even if you get up and take a few laps in your house to relieve yourself from homework, it will make a big difference. Don’t stare at all your work and waste time. Let yourself have a short, active break.
3. Stretch. When you become stressed, your muscles get tense. Take 10 minutes for some basic stretches, and you’ll feel much better afterwards. Taking a hot shower will also relax your muscles.
4. Eat well. Everyday Health says that “certain foods provide comfort and actually increase levels of hormones in the body that naturally fight stress,” Skipping any meals during the day will lead to bad moods, which only adds stress to your life. If you eat well balanced foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and protein, you’ll have the energy needed to take on the day.
5. Allow yourself leisure time. Sometimes, you should allow yourself to have some down time, even when you feel stressed. Listen to some music or read. It’s okay for you to do that once in awhile.
6. Know how to say no – to yourself and others. Healthguide.org, an online trusted mental guide, says you should “know your limits and stick to them”. Take out the unnecessary activities in your life that just overwhelm you. Take a breather.
7. Don’t bottle up your feelings. If you are feeling sad or frustrated, talk to the people around you. You can talk to your parents, close friends, guidance counselors, or other trusted people.
8. Eliminate the major stressors in your life. Identify what is causing the most amount of stress, and figure out a way to get rid of it or significantly reduce it. Taking away those stressors will make a big impact on your life.
Stress can really hurt you and make life so much harder than it has to be. But if you handle it in the right ways and figure out how to reduce it, your life will become much easier. Just incorporate any of these methods into your daily schedule, and the results will be everlasting!