Managing School Stress + What Does Balance Really Mean?
- mae
- Feb 26, 2022
- 3 min read
As a student, stress builds up easily and very quickly. We stress about tests, homework, relationships, class participation, extracurriculars, and the like. As time goes on, it only gets harder. A study from Developmental Science proves that Gen Z is more stressed than adults in almost all areas of national news, such as mass shootings, climate change, and sexual harassment. This flood of news only adds to the stress that students are dealing with in their own personal lives, such as school assignments, body image, and relationships with others.
Below are some causes of stress for students:
- national news (school/mass shootings, attacks driven by racism, etc...)
- academic or personal competition (in real life and social media)
- internal and external pressure
- social anxiety
- heavy workload (during and after school)
- poor time management
- no motivation to work but knowing they need to work
- getting into a good college (this applies to high school students)
- needing help but not having the money or resources to find it
- commuting
This is only a SMALL list of some of the things that are causing stress to students in the world today. Every day I go to school, there is always at least one person who indicates that they do not want to be there. Personally, I love school. It pushes me to go out of my comfort zone and engages my mind, but others do not always find that same motivation or passion, and rightfully so. This saddens me because of how much I have come to appreciate education, and to see others "hate" school because of the stress and anxiety it causes them hints that something needs to change, and the change can start with the individual.
Below are some ways students can manage stress:
Stop looking at your phone first thing in the morning. Do not use your phone last thing at night.
Right as you open your phone, it will probably be filled with notifications from social media and the news. Once you start scrolling, you may come across funny posts, but you will more than likely also come across negative posts. Plus, you're already wasting time. Time that could have gone towards preparing for school.
At night, I understand and experience how students need their phones and electronics to do assignments, such as group projects, research, or notes. BUT once you start your night routine (brushing your teeth/washing your face/etc.), stop using your phone. If you can't sleep, read a book. This is some tough love.
Build a morning routine and start to do rough time blocking.
I use this method ALL THE TIME. Because I have gotten used to myself and my speed, I estimate how long each step of my routine will take me and budget my time accordingly. So, if I know it takes me 20 minutes to eat breakfast, I make sure to have at most 20 minutes for breakfast. If I go over 2 minutes or finish early by 5 minutes, I just keep moving on with my routine. That's why it's called ROUGH time blocking. TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY.
Do assignments ASAP and make/revise your to-do list.
It's the end of class, and your teacher assigns you homework (or tells you about an upcoming test). As soon as you get the time (whether it is after school or in a study period), do that work ASAP. This prevents you from procrastinating or forgetting about the assignment as a whole. AGAIN, TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY.
For your to do list, I have an entire blog post on how to transform it. Essentially, list your tasks, estimate the amount of time it takes to do each, list them from most-least important, and get to work.
Build confidence, not comparison
So what if your friend scored higher than you on a recent assignment? So what if your friend has a more active social life than you? If you need to get help from a teacher, friend, or older sibling, ASK. Genuine people will not judge you, only toxic people will. FOCUS ON YOURSELF. Comparison and negative thoughts literally do not do anything to help your situation. Envision your future self and start acting like it.
I've been struggling with imposter syndrome for a while, but I always tell myself, "I am where I am supposed to be." Feel confident in your abilities because you are so much more capable than you realize.
Take care of yourself. Balance is key.
Balance is taking time for school but also for self care. Balance is listening to music to study but also listening to your favorite podcasts and playlists. Balance is eating a nourishing meal but also enjoying those scoops of ice cream. Balance is waking up early but also not feeling bad about waking up late. Balance is getting in daily movement but also taking rest. Balance is helping others but also taking care of yourself.
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