Managing High School Stress

By Kealy Jordan, A High Schooler

As a high school student, mental health can be a big struggle. My school has a very competitive academic landscape, creating lots of pressure for students to take harder classes and get better grades. Ways that I have managed academic pressures are finding activities I can do that take my mind off of schoolwork. Examples include playing an instrument, moving my body through yoga or walks outside, and hanging out with my friends. I also love to take art and music classes that are not very rigorous, and allow me to be creative, giving me brain breaks in my day. As a student-athlete, time management can be a big struggle, and is something that I am still trying to work on. A big tool I have used is a weekly calendar, where I write down my tasks and events for the week, which helps me make sure I never forget an assignment. Another great tool I use is the 5-Minute Journal by the company Intelligent Change. This journal has a morning and night section, that you fill out each day. In the morning, I am prompted to write 3 things I am grateful for, 3 things that would make today great, and a daily affirmation to build confidence, thankfulness, and a positive mindset for my day. At night, I write 3 things that I enjoyed, and what I learned that day. This helps me reflect on my day and how different things made me feel. Having extracurriculars where I can be silly with my friends, like book club and my schools' YoungLife group, are very important to include in my schedule. In 3 years, I won’t remember that one math test I failed, but I will remember fun, carefree times I had with my friends. The biggest piece of advice that I can give is that worth is not found in your grades or performance. It can be so easy to feel as if you are lesser than somebody who got a better score on a test, but it is important to remember that you are just as valued, loved, and important as everybody else.