It's a Monday afternoon, you're exhausted, and all you want to do is go home and sleep. Then you remember you have an essay, a project and homework in two classes due the next day. You think, "Oh great, another long night."
School is one of the many things that may stress you out. There is always a lot going on in school. Tests, SATs, essays, projects, clubs, sports and even drama can cause you to stress out.
It's very tough to manage school and a boyfriend/girlfriend. You worry about getting your work done and having time for him or her, too.
Not only can school cause you to have anxiety, but home can, as well. When parents start to stress, they tend to start yelling or taking it out on their kids, and vice versa.
When you have stress, you don't only start to feel irritated inside but you also start to get physical conditions. Many people can't concentrate, and start to feel frustrated, agitated and nervous. You begin to be cruel, and tend to instigate fights. Many times people could be stressing out and not even realize it.
If you catch yourself acting like that, just step back and ask yourself why you're being this way.
When you have limited time, you're most likely to stress more. To try to control your stress, it's essential to plan ahead.
If you get an assignment on a Monday that's due that Friday, do not leave it for Thursday night.
Procrastinating is a very common trait of students. Just think it out ahead of time and that will help you out immensely in the long run.
A crucial part of school is sleep. You may think that staying up until dawn is the best thing to do to get a project done, but it most likely isn't. Not getting enough sleep will cause you to have difficultly paying attention the next day.
If there is tension at home with all the stress that's going around, try to balance the mood. That will cause there to be a better atmosphere.
Each person, at some point, needs to relax. It sounds impossible at times, but you need to find a quiet place to just think about everything that's going on. Everyone has different ways to relieve their stress. When you start to have anxiety, just relax and breathe in and out. Try to relieve yourself from being anxious and remember everything will happen in its own time.
You can handle it, just talk to yourself and calm yourself down.
Some people may want to use food as a stress outlet. Instead of eating, listen to your favorite band. My dad had recommended ambient music to relieve stress, and for me it soothes me and gives me a chance to calm down.
Find what music alleviates your stress. Working out is also a great stress-reliever. Take out your frustration and apply it to your workout.
Almost everyone stresses out in his or her life, but the best thing you can do is just relax.
I can guarantee that almost all of your friends stress, so you shouldn't be afraid to ask them to help you out or give you advice. When it comes to stress, everyone has their own way to ease the pressure. Find your own outlet.
Melissa Flathmann is a junior at Oneonta High School. Would you like A Word of Advice from her? Send her an e-mail at melissa’flath@yahoo.com or send her a letter to "Teen Talk: A Word of Advice," C/O The Daily Star, P.O. Box 250, Oneonta, NY 13820.
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