Being a high school student is stressful; there’s no doubt about it. We have to worry about grades, sports, studying for the SAT, our social lives, college applications, part-time jobs, extracurriculars, getting enough sleep, and the list goes on and on.

And if our lives weren’t stressful enough, finals are rapidly approaching. This means stress is at an all-time high. So I thought it was an appropriate time to suggest some strategies to help deal with this stress, however, these strategies can and should be used all year to help combat stress!

1. Get organized. Staying on top of things is imperative to living a life with less stress. This could mean simply organizing your binder, backpack, bedroom, or perhaps better organizing your life. Taking control of the way you’re spending your time and energy is key to handle stress more effectively.
2. Get enough sleep. These words get said a lot by medical professions, teachers, coaches, and parents, but everyone knows this is much harder done then said. When considering the amount of homework assigned each night and how early school starts, sleep often gets pushed to the side. However, sleep is extremely important in ensuring your health and wellbeing. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night will not just lessen your stress, but improve your health!
3. Focus on what you can control. There’s no point to stress over the things you have no control over; so don’t waste your energy worrying about these things because you won’t have enough energy left over to fix the things you can control.
4. Don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is stressful. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today. Staying one day ahead of your homework, meaning doing you’re A-day homework on B-days and vice-versa. This is a great way to avoid the stress the procrastination causes you.
5. You may think you don’t have time to exercise when you are most stressed, but that is exactly when you need it the most. You will be able to think better after you have used up those stress hormones.
6. Stay Positive. It has been shown that happier people tend to live longer, have less physical problems, and are more productive. Look for the humor in life when things don’t make sense. Remember, life’s only as complicated as you make it!