We all go through stress at one point in our life. Say it’s academics, work, or personal sh*t, we’ve all been there. 

Not gonna lie, high school was quite a challenge for me at times (oop). Between my AP classes extracurricular activities, test-taking every other week, and going through my personal stuff was quite a rocky journey. 

So here are 4 tips I want to share with you guys when it comes to managing stress. 

The stress mindset

I’m not sure if this makes sense but basically something I used to do a lot was stress about being stressed. I realized I spent so much time stressing and getting anxious over the overwhelming list of things I have to complete that I lost a lot of precious time. In order to learn how to break this cycle, I incorporated a lot of new habit changes starting from these 3 tips I have.

The To Do List 

I’m sure you’ve heard about the to-do list and as effortful as it sounds it’s a realistic de-stress tool that helped me get through high school. Whether it’s on your laptop or notepad, by listing out what you have to accomplish can definitely help when it comes to reorganizing your priorities.

Take a break and let loose 

Honestly, no ones a working robot 24/7. I mean you can try to but it’s human nature to eventually crash at one point. Keeping a balanced life is so important when it comes to your wellbeing and can be an act of self-care too. I’m not saying to ditch your responsibilities but at a certain point go take a break, let loose a little, take a bubbly bath, hang with a few friends and get back to what you need to do after. Go look at your schedule now and plan out when you can have some downtime.

Meditation 

This is more of an ongoing practice. Meditation isn’t an easy skill to achieve but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It’s true that not everyone could have the patience to sit or to prioritize their time at first ( I mean sometimes I just can’t be bothered too ) but that’s the thing, though it may take up some time the effect is definitely worth it. You’ll realize in just a few sessions you’re entire wellbeing and mindset can completely shift. Here are some of my favourite meditation apps that you can download: Head Space, and Calm.

After thought

At the start of my article I talk about how these managing stress tips helped me throughout high school but personally it also helped my anxiety in different ways. By doing these steps it gave myself time to understand how important it is to cultivate a balanced life and by taking more control in managing my stress gave me a sense of feeling lighter overall.