By: Calla Fragassi

Coming towards the last couple weeks of the school year, I’ve realized that there are a lot of things I either did, or wish I did, to help manage my stress throughout this school year. I’ve had to come up with ways to keep myself on task with school but also not let my work pile up too much to the point where it was more than I could handle. Here are a few of the best tips I’ve learned when it comes to managing school stress:

Staying organized

Staying organized is the key to keeping up with your schoolwork. Keeping a tidy and clean place to do homework like a desk or at a table will help you focus on finishing your assignments without distractions. This also goes for keeping your papers and notebooks organized; use folders and try to keep everything as put together as you can!

Use your school resources/ work time

One thing I’ve found extremely helpful with school is using the resources and time given to me in class. This includes asking for help from teachers and peers, using given class time to complete assignments, as well as using different places to get work done like the CCRC or the library. Focusing on getting your work done in school and asking questions will limit the amount of time you will have to spend outside of school on assignments.

Get good sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep before school will encourage you to be more engaged in school, and will improve your brain’s ability to focus and process information. Being deprived of sleep will make your body weaker and you will be more susceptible to becoming stressed. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to help reduce my stress levels during the school year.

Keep a schedule

Last, but not least is keeping a schedule. This has been the most helpful thing for me this school year to stay on top of my schoolwork. Making a list every Monday of all the work I need to complete by the end of the school week, and the due dates of my assignments, is a great way to remember what I need to get done. This helps me plan out a schedule for which assignments will take more time/need more attention. I would also recommend getting a planner or downloading an app to help you visualize what work you need to finish by the end of the week or before the due date.

Overall, there are many different ways to reduce your stress levels during the school year to help enhance your academic performance as well as your mental and emotional well-being. Focusing on these different strategies is especially important because it can benefit you with lifelong stress management skills. Each of these has helped me this school year and I hope they can benefit you as well.