How to Cope With Stress Throughout High School

As high school seniors, we can all relate to the stress of schooling. Whether it be filling out our college applications (possibly the night before they are due), or the endless amounts of homework we receive every night (mostly from math ugh). While these are natural parts of high school, it is important to know how to relieve loads of pressure and stress we are under.

Lucky for you, I have a few tips that have helped me cope with the massive amounts of stress the college process and the AP courseload has brought me. The following are my top 4 ways to stop you from having a mental breakdown as a result of your stress.

#1.) Make Time for Self-Care

This is an essential step in eliminating your stress levels. Sometimes the best way to cope with stress is to just walk away. I have had countless experiences in which I am struggling with a math problem or am just overwhelmed, and the best thing to do is just a step back. Forcing yourself to sit there, getting overly frustrated will do nothing except heighten your stress levels. When you see this happening, simply take a step back, go play your favorite game, watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix, or another activity that you truly enjoy. This gives your brain a chance to just reset. Sometimes we get so worked up that it becomes hard to think or change our perceptions on the problem, stepping back is an effective way to cleanse your mind and you can come back to the work once you have had a minute to calm down.

#2.) Listen to Music

There have been countless studies that show the powers of music and how it can be therapeutic. One of the most obvious reasons is that music has the power to put you in a better mood. When you are feeling stressed out, try playing music from your favorite band and just feel your heartbeat in rhythm with the song. Just let loose, don’t worry about the work you are doing and simply let the music take you to a state of peace. One article states that ” The uplifting sound of music and the positive or cathartic messages that can be conveyed in the lyrics can all be routes to a new mental state as well. This can help prevent the stress response from wreaking havoc on the body and can help keep creativity and optimism levels higher, bringing many other benefits.”

#3.) Think Positively of Yourself

It is never a good sign to constantly be nagging yourself for every mistake you make. Being too hard on yourself only leads to further stress and anxiety towards school. I certainly fall victim to this in that I sometimes get too upset over a bad grade. The most important thing here is to realize that failing a test or quiz is really not the end of the world, although it may seem so at the time. This is a natural part of high school, and the purpose of life is to make mistakes. You have to be able to accept that you are not perfect and you never will be, which is totally ok! Be sure to celebrate your success and not just the rough times throughout school, this will most definitely relieve some of the stressful moments of high school.

#4.) Put Your Phone Away While Doing Homework

This can be one of the most difficult things to do but it is one of the most important aspects of relieving stress. I know that we have all fallen victim to doing our homework and honestly just wanting a tiny break. You say you are just going to scroll through Instagram for 5 minutes but the next thing you know, it has been an hour and you are nowhere close to being done with your work. This is how we get to the 1:00 am bedtimes and being too tired to function at school. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a teenager’s life, with the constant hustle and bustle of our lives sleep is incredibly important, without it we can just imagine the stress that builds up. We are too tired to truly pay attention at school and from this, we fall behind on our schoolwork. This all stems from being too distracted by our phones while doing homework, so the best thing to do is to just put it away!

I hope that these have been helpful tips and that you try some of these out. I know that they have made a huge difference in my stress levels, which trust me I have plenty of and I hope that they can help you manage your stress! While high school is a time to focus on getting good grades, it is also a time to go out and have fun with your friends, don’t let your stress get in the way of that!