It’s time for you to do nothing
Exam season is nearly upon us, and with that comes a boat-load of stress. It’s important that you take care of yourself as the school year wraps up.
April 12, 2019
Talk to any high school student, anywhere. Odds are they’re incredibly stressed, and probably pretty tired.
They likely feel like they haven’t slept in a week. During the week before midterms, I was walking through the halls when I overheard someone say, “I drank five 5-Hour Energy so I didn’t have to sleep last night so I could finish my paper.”
I’m someone who doesn’t deal with stress well. In the heat of really tough situations, I can crumble under pressure, leaving me having anxiety attacks on the floor of my room, crying at two o’clock in the morning (surrounded by an excessive number of decorative pillows while my cat, who isn’t exactly fond of me, scratches at the door to make sure I’m okay). In my house, we have a rule: If the cat is worried about me, then there’s a major issue.
I’ve been having breakdowns like this since my freshman year (I’m not alone; I’ve talked to many other students that suffer from anxiety like I do, who feel that same stress), and one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that you have to set time aside for yourself to do nothing (and I do literally mean nothing).
I know it sounds a little cliche, but it often feels to me like we’re encouraged to be as busy as possible all the time. Between homework, athletics, and possibly having a job, it can be hard for students to find the time to actually take care of themselves and relax.
With Spring Break over, it’s crunch time. We’re approaching finals review week, and the week after that is exams, and students are about to start getting even less sleep, trying to study so their grades don’t plummet at the end of the year. Seniors are making up any missing assignments, trying to get extra credit and do as much as they possibly can so they don’t have to take exams.
Loading ...All around, it’s stressful, and people are going to focus so much on school that they’re going to forget to take care of themselves.
It’s important that during these stressful times, you’re eating right, getting some physical activity in, and if it’s your thing, maybe even a hot bath with some soft music.
Throughout the rest of the year, remember to take care of yourself and set aside time to relax. It’s incredibly important for your health. You’re not doing yourself any good by staring at a textbook or computer for hours on end. You’ll thank yourself for it in the end.
