Curse me for signing up for so many different things this year. I have no clue why I decided that senior year would be a good time to test my time management skills, but I did. My brain is fried because I’ve been so stressed this week. Take it from me as a senior – I’ve had years of experience to figure out what works when it comes to managing stress. I hope that by writing this blog, I am able to share my knowledge and experiences. While they may be cliche, here are my top three tips to help keep you sane.
1. Don’t put things off. Here we go again. You hear it from teachers, older students like myself, counselors and so many others. Don’t you think if you’re hearing it from so many people there’s got to be some merit? These people know what they’re talking about. If you wait until the last minute to get things done, it’s definitely not going to be your best quality work and you’ll be rushing to finish it. Sure, having block scheduling is great because it offers you the opportunity to go in and get help, but if you wait until the day before an assignment is due to do it, you won’t have as much time to get extra help.
2. Prioritize and make lists. Making lists of what needs to get done helps keep you organized and gives you a visual way of keeping track of what’s been finished. Lists are especially helpful when trying to figure out where to start. For example, if I have a ton of homework, two tests coming up and a project due next week, making a list can help me decide what I should do first. I’ll do my homework for the next day, study for 30 minutes for each of my tests then devote an hour to working on my project. Laying things out makes your schoolwork easier to manage.
3. Talk to someone. Believe it or not, talking to someone about what you have to do helps you get a sense of how much there is and how much actually needs to get done. Talking with my mom and telling her what I have to do in each class helps me realize that I’m in control and I know what I’m supposed to be doing. It gets my brain working again and makes me think about how I can get things done and finish my responsibilities.
There are tons of other ways to handle stress; these are just the things that work best for me. If you need a complete break from stressors, try exercising or going for a drive. Listening to music or working on a hobby also helps.
If you’ve got too much on your plate, try stepping back and reevaluating your situation. Figure out what is causing the main stress in your life and get rid of it. If getting rid of it isn’t an option, figure out how to mend the situation by talking with someone about it and getting a second point of view.
