School work, friends, relationships, extracurricular activities, family life—it can all seem overwhelming, but it’s all about balance. It may seem difficult, especially when you are dealing with stressful situations, but with some planning and good self-care, you can manage successfully. Here are some tips:
- Keep a calendar. Make a list of each assignment and activity and put it on a calendar. Having a tool to visualize each task helps you organize. Get creative and choose a style that fits your personality. Discuss your plans with family, teachers or counselors and get feedback from positive role models.
- Break projects and activities into smaller pieces. For example, breakup a research paper into multiple days. If it needs to be 5-7 pages write some pages Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and edit on Sunday. It helps to break assignments into pieces. If you have readings you may want to do those first before you start writing assignments. Knowing you can’t complete all your homework at once, complete maybe 2-3 assignments per night and then study. If you are able to, try waking up early in the morning to get some studying done before class.
- Remember to take breaks. You are more likely to feel refreshed and motivated to work if you get good rest. When possible, take a break before starting the next activity. It’s best to rest your brain before doing anything else. Go for a walk. Catch some air.
- Don’t overload. It can be easy to take on a number of extracurricular activities but ask yourself if you’re able to handle all the stress. If the answer is no and you’re becoming miserable, angry and tired, then it’s best to take a few extracurriculars at a time.
- Take care of yourself. Make sure you pay attention to your body and understand its limits. Nourish your body, mind, and soul.
- Build strong relationships. Let your friends and loved ones know how you feel and how they can help ease stress.This can also be helpful if you are having family or relationship issues.
- Reach out when needed. Sometimes, life can feel overwhelming. Reaching out to guidance counselors, therapists, or other professionals can help you problem-solve and develop healthy coping habits.
- Manage expectations about work and relationships. Friendships take time and work completion takes time. You won’t finish all your work in a day nor will you make friends right away and that’s ok. Take things one step at a time.
Remember that however you use these tips depends on what your goals are and how many activities you are involved in. There is no right or wrong answer. Just remember you are worth taking care of!