By Aminah Khan, Elise Tran, Lindsey Nguyen and John Le, Staff Writers
Dear SAT,
Although second semester just started, I have been bombarded with homework and tests. AP testing is also coming up soon, and I am super stressed! How do I cope with stress?
Sincerely,
Distressed Tracy
Able Amimah:
It’s really easy to let stress get the best of you and become overwhelmed. A great way to manage stress is by creating schedules. Start off by making a monthly schedule for all of your upcoming tests as well as extracurricular events. By doing this, you can plan around these tests and figure out how to avoid a build up of projects due to procrastination! If you feel comfortable with your monthly schedule, try getting a planner and creating weekly and daily routines for homework, studying and relaxation. If you still feel overwhelmed by all the school work that is piling up, remember that we have a great faculty at Fountain Valley High School that you can talk to. Talk to our school psychologists or wellness specialists if you have any specific concerns because although school is important, so is your mental and physical well being!
Effective Elise: Although stress is needed every once in awhile, feeling overwhelmed with stress constantly take a negative toll on your overall health. Take a deep breather and do something for fun. Set aside an hour of your day and don’t think about school or whatever is dragging you down! Try playing an instrument, take a hike or bike outside and go outside! Do something that truly interests you, because your performance will decrease if you constantly study or practice.
Laidback Lindsey: Hey there! Let’s take a second to relax a bit. Stress has become a daily part in our routine and believe it or not, our bodies can’t handle a lot of it. Try taking breaks. Reward yourself with a quick nap or a short YouTube video so you aren’t going from one subject to another. Try to plan things out so that you aren’t waiting until the last minute to study or finish that big project. Nobody’s perfect, there are going to be some days where you’re just going to be given a ton of homework and/or have a project due the next day with a test in a difficult subject. If you’re feeling stressed, try taking deep breaths and words of encouragement. Try to get a few minutes to relax so you can give your brain a little break! Drink some tea and avoid coffee. Snack on some dark chocolate or blueberries! Best of luck to you 🙂
Judgy John: Stress is a very important mental health aspect in my opinion, as stress can come from the abundant amounts of homework, tests, extracurriculars, and etc. There are many ways to cope with stress, but the number one option in my opinion is to just sleep. A quick nap or a long hibernation always helps relieve yourself, and you can sleep off your struggles for a moment. Or you can just cry yourself.
