Stress!!!

Image courtesy of Mindwerx

Now, as every high schooler knows, stress is a big part of our life. Juggling deadlines, projects, sports, clubs, and still trying to have time to be with family and friends is a full time job. Personally, I know a lot about these stressful times. Since this is such a common problem, I thought I would write  about how to handle and maybe even decrease this stress.

First, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I know it sounds appealing, but putting things off until tomorrow is not the answer (although I wish it was). Here's a little step by step on how to avoid procrastination:
1. First, find a comfy spot to do your homework. Grab a pillow or a blanket, maybe a snack, make yourself nice and snug. I've found that if I'm comfortable, I'm less bummed about doing what I need to get done.
2. Now, make a to do list. What I like to do is to go through my classes and write down what I need to do in all of the them, and when everything is due. The due dates help me plan on when I need to get everything done by (well, duh). But really, seeing the exact date of when something is due helps me.
3. Go down your to do list, completing everything in the order you wrote it. As you complete a task/assignment, cross it off. Keep going until everything is done. Congratulations! Now you can do whatever you want to do, as in sleep.
*A little tip from Natalie- take breaks! Just because you want to get everything done doesn't mean that you need to completely overload yourself with information. Every forty-five minutes or so, take a ten minute break. This has helped me a lot, and I think it will help you too.

Another way to decrease stress is to see if you can get assignments done early. In my H. English class, we have a weekly assignment called Vital Vocab. My teacher (hello Mr. Parker) has a page where we can find all the Vital Vocabs for the entire quarter. This has been awesome for me, because when I had some extra time, I got all of them done. This helped because I no longer had to worry about forgetting to do them or having to keep up with the deadlines. Getting something done early is an awesome way to avoid the stress it could have caused you.

I hope this helps you guys! Remember, stress and problems are temporary and can be avoided. High school may seem hard, but I know we all can get through it and succeed in it. Remember that your teachers, counselors, family, and friends are there for you whenever you need it. Don't forget to make memories, not just of stressful nights and long days, but of football games and sports teams and friends and good times.

Gif courtesy of Animations A2Z