A high schooler’s life is filled with stressful factors that can cause anxiety. They have to go to school for seven hours, where they sit in a classroom listening to their teachers talk, and then get assignments that they really do not want to do. When they get out of school, most students attend practice or games for their sports, where they spend up to two hours of their time doing drills and such. They go home late and start on the assignments they did not get done during school. Maybe they have a test to study for or a project they need to work on. All of this builds up, and it can really weigh on such a young person who is trying to find his or her place in the world.
As a current high school student, I have always searched for my own way to handle anxiety. Over time, I have come up with different ways to limit stressful factors.
- My favorite thing to do when I am stressed is to just take a break and listen to music or watch my favorite movie. It gives me a distraction and a chance to restart. I change my mindset and then go from there.
- Sometimes I get a snack. Eating may sound stupid, but just a small treat can really help. You can treat yourself to a fun snack and take your mind off the world for a little bit.
- Little gadgets help me a lot during the day when I am stressed. If I have a little squishy or fidget with me, I can use it to kind of distract myself while I do my work.
- Journaling is one that I have not done in a really long time. I used to take a little notebook, and I would write down everything that was causing my anxiety. Everything that was annoying me or causing me to be upset went into the entry. Then, I wrote a plan of things that I could do to deal with the problems.
- Exercise is another way that I occasionally manage my stress – going outside and playing my favorite sport, or even just going on a quick jog.
All of these methods help me with my everyday anxiety. They help me to reset and rethink how I should spend my time and what I should spend my time on. Whether I have a last-minute test to study for or a really busy week ahead of me, if I just take the time to use one of these methods, my day is already better. Overall, what has helped me the most is finding out what stressed me out and what triggers my anxiety. Knowing these things can help you to find what helps you manage anxiety.
