Author | Hillary Monastero | Nov 4th, 2019
Hey Huskies!
Though the school year has only just begun, many of you may be feeling stressed due to fifth week reports, midterms approaching, daunting classes, homework overload, looming projects and/or any other personal problems that you may be facing. These things can feel very overwhelming and the workload can feel like it is never-ending. The good news is that there are ways to cope with the stress that is happening in your life.
Fifth week reports are over now and sometimes that is when the panic and stress starts to set in. Yes, you may not be receiving the mark that you were hoping for, but it is important to take a breath and re-evaluate with your teacher what went wrong. Also, you still have the rest of the semester to boost your mark, so do not let the first mark in a course get you down. If you want to improve your grade, it is important to think about what you could do next time. If you procrastinate while studying for a test, try to start studying a week before by doing 20 minutes a night. This will not take up your whole night so you will still have time to focus on your other classes and watch Netflix.
You may be hyper-aware that midterms are approaching… It is important not to panic. A tip from helpguide.org entitled ‘Stress Management, Using Self-Help Techniques For Dealing With Stress’, says that in order to manage your stress, you should practise the four A’s - Avoid, Alter, Adapt and Accept. Sometimes we add unnecessary stress to our plate, so it is important to Avoid the people and or things that are unnecessary. It’s okay to take time and space for yourself to figure everything out.
When you receive a mark that is lower than you expected, it is important to Alter the way that you think about the situation. You could talk to your teacher about your concerns and ask for advice on how you could improve next time. Everything is a step forward, so no matter what you do, you will be learning something.
Sometimes you have to Adapt to the problem that is stressing you out. If there is nothing you can do to change the issue, it is important to change your mindset so you have a more positive outlook on things to avoid further stress. Something that is useful is to think about this, “will this really matter in five years?”. Most often the answer will be no. No job is going to ask you what mark you received in your grade 10 math class, so it is okay if you don’t do as well as you hoped for on a test. Try not to look at the number attached to the grade as a be all and end all, but rather showing you how much you know regarding a subject and how much you need to work on for the next time.
Lastly, some things will not change no matter what. So it is important to discuss how you are feeling with your friends or trusted adults. You cannot control everything and this is when the ability to Accept the circumstances will help lift the weight off your shoulders. This does not mean ‘giving in or giving up’, rather, it just requires you to change your perspective on the situation and focus elsewhere - preferably in a direction that is joyful for you and taking you where you ultimately want to go.
Obviously school is not your entire world and you may be facing some daunting personal problems that are making you feel anxious. To overcome how you are feeling in certain situations, it is important to make sure that you do things that you enjoy. This can be anything from going on walks, to the movies, reading, etc. Just because things can be scary, does not mean that you have to let it control your whole life. Take a breath and move on.
High school years can be stressful, but they can also be enjoyable. It is the time in your life where you meet new friends and try new things. So no matter what you are facing, communicate how you feel to trusted mentors, get support from the safe people in your life and remember to periodically tell yourself you can get through it!
References
“Stress Management.” HelpGuide.org, 24 Oct. 2019, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm.
コメント