Homework assignments, vocabulary quizzes, chapter tests, long essays, oh my.  The transition period into the year has come and gone, and the tasks to do are piling up.  Consequently this means the stress levels are rising steadily.  But do they have to? A little stress is inevitable, however too much can be avoided if one takes the proper steps to reduce the extreme weight on your shoulders.

Everyone always hears the statistic that teenagers are supposed to get around 8-10 hours of sleep each night: sleep is very important. I’ve even heard the statistic that people who get six hours of sleep have the same slow reaction time and cognitive performance as someone who has not slept for two days. Having said that, the majority of high school students know lots of sleep is not even possible for most kids with their homework and studying, coupled with extracurricular activities that go into the nighttime. But getting more sleep time is a struggle that should be fought though. Staying organized and planning out work as well as studying in advance could add up to at least one night of 7-8 hours of sleep.

The mind and body are forever linked so in order to get the best results doing schoolwork, you must take care of your body at the same time. This means finding some way to relax yourself when you finds your anxiety levels creeping up. Taking a long shower, listening to music, playing a sport, playing an instrument, coloring or talking with a friend could reduce stress vibe. (Warning: do not use one of these methods to procrastinate your work though.) If you find you have a long multitude of tasks to complete in one night, reward yourself after finishing a few in order to sustain your momentum throughout the night. It is important not to lose motivation, otherwise you will find it difficult to use your time wisely. Breaking up big assignments like projects can make it seem easier to actually finish.

Crashing and burning is never fun, but that is the inevitable result if you do not take ten minutes to yourself in an attempt to unwind. Find out what works best for you and continue to use that system no matter what. Try out a few methods in this article or create your own. Once you find what works though do not hesitant to utilize it as much as possible. Keep that stress from reaching an unmanageable level!