Being a student in high school, there are many things that can factor into everyday stress and can get chaotic. However the effect of these things can change simply by a change of mindset. This statement is shown in Erica Weimer’s article, “An Ode to High School Stress.”
In her article, she says, “In high school, the days are often earlier than our bodies are primed for.” This is still the case, shown in one of my previous articles, “The Effect of School Start Times on Teenagers.” Teenagers aren’t any less of the zombies they were in the early mornings 5 years ago today.
“From there you have to deal with… maybe even attempting to juggle a job in the process.”
Many high school students are getting jobs in high school, some even during freshman year. Studies have shown that nearly 30% of high school students are employed in a job for at least a portion of the school year.
Stress can be caused by many things, such as homework, to-do lists, family problems, or social encounters. Not handling it correctly can lead to procrastination, negative thoughts, not reaching goals, and self-doubt.
“Teenagers also have a terrible tendency to overthink. Whether it’s about grades, sports, extracurricular activities, or our personal lives, we unnecessarily panic,” says Weimer.  This is still very much so true. Causes of stress can also be causes of overthinking.
A way some people deal with stress is scrolling on social media.
“Instead of scrolling on your phone, embrace life with spontaneity,” says Weimer.
According to Matt Woods’ article, “Screen Time for Teenagers: How Much is Too Much?,” a study that was done in 2019 reported that the average screen time for teens is 7 hours per day. Also in 2019, referred to in Woods’ article, the Washington Post reported that the average youth screen time had doubled in 4 years. The average screen time for teens as of 2021 is 9 hours, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Judging by advancing technology and this data, it can be predicted that the average screen time will certainly increase by 2025.
Although stress has some negative impacts, “stress is essential to high school students” because without the things we stress about or stressing about them, our lives would change. Not one person has lived a stress-free or worry-free life.
Stress contributes to our lives in a different way every day. As stated in Weimer’s article, stress factors can change by the week. This consistent change and effect does make our lives more interesting. The things we stress about can be fixed simply by looking at them from a different perspective. Stress can lead to motivation, as well. For example, if you have a 70% in a class and you’re stressed about the end of the quarter approaching, it’s a possibility that you’ll be more motivated to reach that 80% that you want.
No one can control when stress comes upon us. We might be able to figure out the cause, but no one wants stress or tries to produce it. Although there are some positives listed above, stress is a very difficult thing to deal with.
A way to cope with this oncoming stress is to listen to music. For many students, music is an escape from reality to them. Music has a huge impact on emotions as well. For example, a sad song will make a person sad and a happy, upbeat song will make a person more energetic. According to healthline.com, music has also been proven to reduce anxiety and depression, both of which can be caused by stress.
Another way to cope is to try to eliminate the cause. For example, if you’re stressed about completing a homework assignment, complete it piece by piece to get it done, without trying to do it all at once. One of my previous articles, “The Benefits of Time Management” can assist with this.
If this is difficult, because everyone handles stress differently, you can take a break from it and come back to it later. Sometimes a good night’s rest or an episode of your favorite show can be the one thing needed to calm you down.
These are all very good ways to deal with stress, however, my favorite way is to spend time with a pet. Pets are very impactful on our everyday lives because they can sense emotions. In Tammy George’s article, “Do Dogs Know When You’re Sad? 5 Ways Your Dog Senses Your Mood,” it’s said that dogs can recognize your mood and health condition.
For example, if you have a pet dog and you’re sad, they might try to comfort you.
Stress can be a difficult thing to cope with and recognize, but without it, we wouldn’t be the individuals we are today.