How to Prevent and Manage Stress as a High School Student

By Ready WA Storyteller Lauren K. 

Introduction:

As someone who has recently gr aduated high school, I have definitely had my fair share of stress throughout my years. Between classes, work, family and friends, and at-home responsibilities, stress can come in ways you least expect it, whether that be because of a deadline, you’re struggling with a relationship, or you’re simply feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things you need to do. I know in my case, I struggled with balancing my various responsibilities and found myself stressing to get things done. Over the years, however, I have also learned many ways to help relieve stress and methods I remind myself to use to help prevent it from even happening to begin with. In this article, I will be sharing these methods in the hopes that they can help another student.

Tip #1: Use a Calendar

If you are taking a class, chances are, you probably have an upcoming deadline for an assignment. And the more classes you have, the easier it is to accidentally forget a deadline or leave an assignment until the last minute. Using a calendar to remember when certain projects are due is very helpful in keeping track of assignments and preventing you from accidentally missing a deadline. Some learning management systems, such as Canvas or Google Classroom, automatically have a built-in calendar that tracks when assignments are due. If these resources are available to you, I would highly recommend checking them at least once a day. Of course, not all classes will automatically come with this feature, so in that case, writing down important deadlines somewhere you frequently check will be best. This could be a note, a calendar, or a planner. You can even put things related to your responsibilities outside of school, which will help to prevent any last-minute stress surrounding an important deadline.

Tip #2: Work on Assignments Whenever You Get the Chance

As easy as it sounds, working on assignments whenever you get the chance is honestly one of the best ways to prevent stress in the first place. Even if an assignment isn’t due for another week and you know you can get it done on time, I would highly recommend working on it as soon as you get the chance. You never know what can happen in your personal life, and sometimes, you may find yourself unexpectedly busy and realize you don’t have as much time to work on the assignment as you thought . For this reason, working on these assignments whenever you get the chance can help to relieve any last-minute stress that comes from trying to get them done. Whenever I adopt this mindset and find myself completing an assignment earlier than expected, a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders, knowing that the assignment is no longer something I need to actively work on.

Tip #3: Consider Where Your Time is Being Spent

A lot of times, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of work you need to do and find yourself stressed on a day-to-day basis. This was a feeling I experienced during my senior year, especially when I increased my overall school load and also committed to other responsibilities. However, I found that recognizing where my time was being spent and acknowledging how it could be spent better helped me manage that stress. For a week, I would track where my time was being spent, and then after a week, reassess and see how I could spend my time better. I was surprised to learn how much time I spent doing activities that didn’t matter, which helped me to recognize that if I spent more time on important tasks, such as schoolwork, I would feel nowhere near as stressed. If that feeling of being in a constant state of stress is something you also experience, I would highly recommend tracking where your time is being spent. This can help you see how to spend more time on your important duties.

Tip #4: Talk to a Trusted Person Whenever You Get Overwhelmed

Responsibilities can often pile up, making it easy to get overwhelmed with the amount you need to do. Sometimes, you may feel like you need to just push through on your own and that you’ll get everything done one way or another. However, this can lead to a very stressful mindset, and talking to someone about how you feel can help with this stress, even if you do not fully recognize that you’re stressed. Just having someone there to empathize with you and being able to discuss your feelings out loud can help with stress and may even reduce it. Whenever I get overwhelmed, talking to someone helps me feel better about everything, rather than being stuck feeling that I’m all alone and overwhelmed with what I need to get done. For you, this person may look like a trusted family member, a friend, or a teacher. High school counselors are also a good resource and can even help you work through these feelings or identify ways you can decrease your responsibilities, hopefully helping to relieve your overall stress level.

Tip #5: Look for Fun Ways to Relieve Stress

Sometimes, simply doing something you enjoy or trying something new can help with relieving stress. These activities can vary from person to person, which is why I recommend doing what you think is best for you. Some methods I like to use include walking my dog, playing video games, and listening to music. These are daily activities I already do, and whenever I get stressed, doing the things that make me happy helps me feel better and gets me back on track. Trying new methods can also be another helpful way to relieve stress, and looking up methods online can help to give you some ideas. In an article I found, there are methods I never even considered using, such as chewing gum, taking a nap, or dunking my face in ice water. These are some methods I would definitely like to use in the future.

Conclusion:

Stress is something everyone deals with, and as a high school student, there are many different factors that can contribute to this stress. However, learning about the different ways to prevent and manage this stress is essential so that it doesn’t interfere with your life. The methods I listed in my article are what I found work best for me, and I encourage you to look for what works best for you. Ultimately, stress is a normal part of life, but it does not have to be everything. By finding healthy ways to manage it and recognizing when you feel stressed, you can make stressful moments a little easier to deal with.

Thank you for reading!