The spring season starts, the leaves start to come back, and the school year starts to end. Teachers are beginning to expect more than usual. Different class grades deal with different problems: Seniors have to worry about about colleges and the rest of their lives for that matter; juniors have to worry about their sooner than later arising senior year; and the lower classmen start to feel the real hardship of high school. And what does this all mean for us? Stress.
Each year around this time, students either break down, freak out, or just straight up quit because various stressful reasons. Some ranging from trying to get accepted to that college they’ve been eyeing for a while, to getting that GPA up in the couple of months we have left of school. Stress overcomes students so unexpectedly, it can sometimes mess up their whole day. Some of us face stress more than others, but what really matters is how we choose to deal with it. But all is well, think of me as your personal genie in a bottle granting you not just 3, but multiple tips on how to minimize that not wanted feeling we call stress.
1.) Sleep.
Sleep and relaxation is one of the best ways for your body to recuperate after anything. Sleep is healthy, needed, and unfortunately for us teens we only get five to seven hours a night. Doctors suggest eight and a half hours of sleep per night for 12-18 year olds is the best way to go. The more rest you get, the better your mind can function, and deal with the stresses of the day in clarity.
2.)Diet
Have balance in your diet. Don’t go loco on Taco Bell one night, and then start your morning off with pizza Hotpockets and expect to be full of energy for the day. That’s not going to happen my friend. The key is to maintain a healthy balanced diet with regular sources of vitamins and proteins. Remember, veggies and cheese really are your best friends (unless you’re lactose intolerant, of course). The healthier you are, the better your body feels thus making stress much more tolerable.
3. )Procrastination
DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! I repeat, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Every one of us teenagers do it despite the fact that we all know how much we will regret it later. Shame on us. If you think about it, in most cases procrastinating is never a win-win. When we procrastinate, our mind is so focused on what we should be doing, it makes to do whatever it is that we’re doing unenjoyable, instead of actually doing what needs to be done. The more work you get done, the better results thus causing less stress.
4.)Positivity
Stay positive! From personal experience, I’ve noticed that in most situations things will work themselves out eventually. Also if you’re the type to dwell in the moment, remember it’s better to try to fix the problem than to spend your time thinking about what went wrong. It wasn’t the end of the world on 12/22/2012, and it definitely won’t be the end of the world during your situation (hopefully).
5.) Guilty Pleasure
Have a guilty pleasure. A guilty pleasure is rewarding not only because it’s fun, but it also helps get your mind off the stresses of the day. For me, its doing a little online shopping in bed with a good movie on. Each person has an individual go to thing or person(s) that they know can take their minds off of all their troubles. Whether it’s playing Call of Duty or going out with a bunch of friends, remember to make time for what you love. It’s easy to get caught up in the stupid things but not appreciate and make time for the small things that matter.
