Students gasp for air as they drown in a sea of homework night after night, struggling to complete assignments and study for countless tests. High school tends to burden students with a significant amount of stress. As the second marking period at FTHS just finished, stress most likely has risen within students due to TCAs and an excess amount of major assessments. 

While school has the potential to become overwhelming, there are healthy ways students can manage their built up anxieties. 

Physical Activity

Exercising can help eliminate stress within students, as it distracts their minds by focusing on an activity besides homework and tests. Through exercising, the body releases endorphins, which helps to reduce stress while strengthening feelings of happiness. Additionally, physical activity can improve the mood of students through increasing their self-confidence and relaxing their minds.

Sleep

Students usually require at least eight hours of sleep to properly function. However, they often find themselves sleep-deprived during the week due to late nights finishing homework and studying for a test that takes place the following day. This lack of sleep can contribute to the levels of stress students experience as it can result in less productivity and make it more difficult to learn. In order to maximize sleep, create a consistent bedtime routine that can be performed every day of the week—including the weekends. Furthermore, try finishing your homework at least an hour before going to bed, so your mind has the opportunity to relax.

Healthy Eating

Oftentimes, stress causes students to desire fattening and comforting foods that are detrimental to the body. Through eating healthy foods, a student’s energy will be boosted, allowing for stressful scenarios to become more manageable. Increased energy can also lead to a calmer mindset and improved study habits. When students eat healthily, mood swings and dizziness will be replaced with positive thoughts and increased stamena during study sessions. 

Practice Mindfulness

When in stressful situations, it is imperative to recognize your anxiety and take a step back and practice mindfulness in order to clear your mind. It is beneficial to take deep, calming breaths while closing your eyes to focus on yourself and your mind rather than your anxiety. Deep belly breathing has proved to reset students’ minds and can be practiced anywhere. This particular style of mindfulness requires you to either sit or lay down, relax your body, breathe in through your nose until your stomach rises, and then breathe out through your mouth. Mindfulness encompasses the idea of blocking out negativity and creating focus on awareness, which helps to reduce stress. 

Sources

https://www.verywellmind.com/top-school-stress-relievers-for-students-3145179

https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/stress-management-school

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469