Stress from Schoolwork
We all know that feeling. The feeling of dread, creeping over your body and pressing down on you. The seemingly abundant thoughts that keep coming at you with things you have to get done or will soon have to do. As a student, it can be overwhelming. Even when you’re able to get one thing out of the way, you get another assignment thrown at you. So if we can never truly get everything done, how are we supposed to get past this?
Stress and anxiety plague students all over the world. Everyone is, has, or will experience it at some point. As for me, I started experiencing stress around fifth grade. In the first week of school, I lost one of my math assignments and got behind trying to redo that, along with keeping up on all the new assignments we got. But even when I did catch up, I still found myself getting stressed out. That’s because for the rest of the year, I was constantly making sure that I stayed up to date on tests and homework. Even now, I struggle with trying to remember everything and keeping track of what I have to do. The truth is that no matter how behind or caught up you are, school is always going to be a source of anxiety. However, the good news is that no matter if you’re in fifth grade, college, or somewhere in between, there are ways to cope and greatly reduce school-related stress.
One of the most common ways to do so is by participating in extracurricular activities after school. It may sound counterintuitive, since you’re taking up more time and energy taking on another activity, but if you truly enjoy what you’re doing, it can be a fun and rewarding way to reduce stress. You could consider playing a sport, doing marching band, or joining a school-sponsored club. However, you might be hesitant to try one of these things. Maybe none of them are interesting to you or you don’t think you’re good enough to do one of these activities. Those can be reasonable thoughts, but if you really look hard enough, I promise you’ll find something you enjoy doing. Who knows, you might even make some new friends!
However, doing activities outside of going to school is not the only way to reduce stress. You might find that the cycle of getting your homework done, finishing projects, and studying are what’s weighing you down. No worries! There are solutions for helping you to get your work done while not feeling as overwhelmed. One of my favorite ways to do so is by listening to music while I work. Doing so helps me to stay focused and determined to finish. If you find the lyrics in songs to be distracting while working, just play some calming instrumental music instead. Taking breaks are also important, especially if you have to get a lot done. Every 45 minutes to an hour, consider finding a good place to stop, stand up, stretch, and maybe even talk with someone for a few minutes. Then you can get right back to work, feeling more refreshed. If you tend to procrastinate, one of the most effective techniques is to knock out your shortest or easiest assignments first, then progressively move to your more difficult ones. By doing this you will feel more accomplished by getting the small stuff out of the way and allowing you to feel more equipped to take on the bigger stuff and not feel as overwhelmed in doing so.
Finally, if you suddenly feel extremely stressed or anxious, don’t forget to stop, take a few deep breaths through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and remind yourself that it’s all going to be okay. Remember, stress stems from fear, and fear is nothing more than an illusion. No matter how big your assignments are or however many upcoming tests you have, know that nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Keep calm and carry on. You got this!
Challenges/Points:
School-related stress affects students of all ages in many different ways.
Taking your mind off of what you have to do through after-school activities can be an effective way to reduce stress.
Remember to take breaks and complete tasks in increments.
Questions:
How does stress affect you as you try to complete your day-to-day tasks?
Talk with your friends or family. How do they deal with stress from work or school?
How can you implement at least one of these points into your day-to-day life at school?
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