Tips on Reducing Stress

As the school year goes on, students begin to feel a little nervous about much of the upcoming school work that has to be done. Trust me. I know it's difficult trying to juggle all of your classwork and responsibilities . I've been there before, and I'm STILL struggling with my time management skills and managing my stress level. Nobody said school would be easy, and it definitely doesn't help when there is so much work to do in such a little amount of time. Although this is absolutely a big struggle for students, there are several ways to control your stress level and finish all your work in a timely manner.

One of the most helpful things a student can do to manage her time is creating a schedule. Having a set schedule of how much homework a student will do at once can definitely help someone who is feeling attacked with school work. Setting alarms in between subjects is also very convenient when you are determining when to take breaks. This is helpful because you can easily spread out your work and not focus on one subject for too long of a time. If a student has been working on the same subject for two hours, it can definitely get her stress level going through the roof and will only make the work more difficult.

During these little breaks, I like to do productive and calming activities such as cooking, meditating, taking a shower, and playing guitar. Taking naps, watching TV, or talking on the phone are not good break activities because they can sometimes lead to procrastination. A good break should be anywhere between 20-30 minutes. That gives enough time for the brain to cool off but not get out of work mode. Once the brain has left work mode, it is very difficult for a student to get back to the school work and fully focus on the material.

Although it can be sometimes very difficult, students should NOT wait until the last minute. Even though many people think they can finish a research report in one night, the stress of the paper does not kick in until the night before it is due. Especially since there is other homework to be done, putting off a large assignment will have you working all night long. Last minute work is never a student's best work. If you are able to work on small portions a day, it will be much better for your stress level, and your hard work should be reflected in the grade you receive on the assignment. Plus, if you wait until the last minute, you most likely won't be able to get help or proper feedback.

High school can be extremely stressful for students, and there is not much of an escape from the hard work required to do well. However, with just a little bit of work each night and following some of these helpful tips, you can accomplish much more, and you will be able to reduce stress easier.