During the school year, it seems that many students can agree on one thing about their mental state: Their stress and anxiety levels are high. With grades, exams, and procrastination, it is easy for students to feel overwhelmed and tired. School drains out many students’ energy, and usually negatively impacts their emotions when something goes wrong. If you do badly on a test or forget something is due on a certain day, you feel the pressure that comes from your mistake. However, many students overlook how they can improve their mental health despite various ways to do so.
The most obvious, yet often overlooked tip, is to get more sleep. Often, students ramble that they stayed up all night to study for their test or quiz that is the following day, thinking that they will perform better if they study for such a long period of time or cram at the last minute. However, getting less sleep will only lead to you feeling more tired and will worsen your concentration. Furthermore, it will be difficult to remember the subjects you studied last night, as getting less sleep decreases your ability to memorize. The solution to this problem is simple: Get more sleep. To help you increase the amount of sleep you get, do assignments on time and study frequently so you do not have to cram all your work in in one night. If you establish a sleeping schedule and keep up with your academics, your sleep and grades would get better as a result. In addition, avoiding blue light—high energy visible light from your phone or laptop—before sleep helps, as blue can reduce sleep quality.
“For me, I always struggle maintaining a consistent sleep schedule,” said Shrahas Joshi ‘28. “However, once I started to keep a good sleep schedule, my grades and performance in academics improved.”
A second activity you could do to help combat stress and anxiety is to journal. Whether you type it out on a Google Doc or write it on a piece of paper, you can talk about anything regarding your life, such as how your day is going, aspirations for the future, or recalling nostalgic events. Journaling is a great way to get your emotions out. Not only does it help you reflect on yourself, but it also works to calm you down and let you express your ideas and thoughts. Moreover, it serves as another way to help you relax and be present in the moment.
Another tip to help reduce stress and anxiety is meditating. While it might seem awkward at first, meditating is one of the best activities you could do to improve your mental health. Many students think that meditating is just closing your eyes and simply breathing, but meditation actually focuses on improving your breath and concentration. For beginners, it is suggested to meditate between one to three minutes, depending on your schedule. It is also not a problem if you lose your focus on your breathing thinking about something else.
“Meditation has helped me a lot,” says Rueben Thomas ‘28. “In the past, it has helped me relax before tests or quizzes, and I still meditate to help myself.”
The final suggestion is to enjoy life outside of school. Hanging out with friends, picking up new hobbies, or doing fun activities can help you relax from all the work you do. It is important to take breaks and remember that there is much more to enjoy outside of school—and, best of all, there is learning to be done with interpersonal relationships and outside interests.
“Sometimes, you need to take a break from school and relax,” said Paulo Agustin ‘24. “You need to keep a balance between academics and your outside life.”
“Remember to enjoy life outside of school,” adds Andres Zamora ‘27. “Spend time with loved ones, go for a walk, or try out a new hobby.”
In the end, it is important to recognize and implement these tips into your daily routine, as it can help keep the balance of school and mental health close. As a well rounded young adult, you will start to feel its impact in school and in life.