The life of a high school student can be stressful. Balancing homework, tests, activities and while also having responsibilities at home can be overwhelming. Everyone is stressed for different reasons and is impacted in different ways. Unfortunately, the effect of stress is almost always negative there are ways students can reduce stress.
According to Purdue University, people feel stressed due to the feeling of being trapped and overwhelmed by the problems in their lives. Students may face this feeling when it is hard to see a positive outcome in a difficult situation or when they are faced with what may seem an overwhelming amount of work and studying. This year a wellness period is offered to students on different days each week to provide a free period to catch up on work to feel less stressed.
Another recommended stress reducing strategy is simply talking about it. For students, talking about the work they are stressed about and how they plan to get it all done may help them feel like they are not alone and that they don’t have to carry the burden of all that stress alone. Students can talk to their teachers, who are there to help them organize and provide support and strategies when a student is overwhelmed, which can relieve stress. Students can also speak to friends, family, coaches, counselors, or anyone else in their lives who will enable them to talk through what is causing the stress.
Another avenue to reduce stress that has additional health benefits is exercise. According to Healthline.com, exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress. Exercise lowers stress hormones and improves sleep quality, both of which lead to feeling more balanced and calm. Students can get exercise during the day taking a gym class, after school playing a sport, going to the gym or even just taking a walk. “I deal with stress by doing Orange Theory workout classes multiple days a week because it allows me to focus solely on working out and forget about what is going on in my life,” history teacher Keith Yanity said.
What a person drinks can also impact stress. High doses of caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety. Making an effort to reduce caffeine consumption, such as coffee and soda, can help reduce stress levels.
Students can try writing down the things that stress them out to reduce some of the anxiety they feel or just expressing oneself through writing can be calming. Keeping a diary or a pad near the bed at night to write down thoughts can help reduce the thoughts and induce sleep.
Other quick tips include listening to music, laughing and chewing gum. According to healthline.com chewing gum is an easy and quick stress reliever. A study showed that people who chew gum have a greater sense of well being and lower stress. “I always chew gum during any of my quizzes or tests to help keep me calm, junior Sharon Oh said.
