- by K Duron
Three months. Give or take a couple weeks, that’s all we have left before we finish this school year. This means end of the year performances, competitions, finals, etc. For seniors, this also means college acceptance (or rejection) anxiety, figuring out how to pay for college, and trying to make the most fun out of the last few months of high school. All this leads to a whole bunch of stress. And stress usually attracts all those unpleasant situations like breakouts, weight gain, sickness, or choosing unhealthy ways of feeling ‘better’.
Most people see the end of the year as being “slack”, so senioritis kicks in, and some people cannot deal with the pressure of so much cumulative work that they get lazy and give up. But there couldn’t be a worse time to slack than the final stretch. That’s like a runner slowing down at the last few feet of the marathon, so close to the finish line! So the best thing you can do is stay consistent or else you start to burn out, and that can become really unhealthy. Pace yourself. Know your limits. Whether it is with your workload, extracurriculars, or even friends.
Here are a few tips that will keep you healthy:
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- Keep an agenda. Even if you use post-its like me, making a to-do list helps you visualize what your finish line for the day is, so you don’t procrastinate and you feel accomplished.
- Stay away from non-healthy “stress relievers.” Sometimes desperate times seem to justify just one drink, or just one smoke, or just one little pill; because everything will be better after that. In the end, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs actually make you lose concentration and motivation. It slows your roll.
- Sleep. Pulling all-nighters for a test means you probably care about your grade enough to study. But managing your time and paying more attention in-class will help you retain more information faster, so you don’t end up procrastinating. There have been studies on sleep and teenagers, and the biggest problems linked to sleep deprivation are acne, bigger appetite due to hormone imbalance, less cognitive function, and lower athletic performance.
- Cry. It’s okay to break down once in a while with your family, best friends, or mentors. Every time you cry, you lower your stress levels and elevate your good mood. So after you’ve had a nice cry with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s...
- Laugh. Laughter is literally nature’s painkiller. Laughing stimulates your organs and muscles, and ultimately relaxes you. So after a long strenuous day, forget about those depressing Facebook or Tumblr quotes and pictures, and treat yourself to your favorite comedy show or simply call your best friend and you are bound to laugh.
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