Educate Yourself

While you're being educated about taking the anti-derivative of the function in AP Calculus or how the global temperature has risen by 6○C since 1861 in AP Environmental Science take some time and educate yourself about something that really interests you.

Educate yourself about anything you've ever been curious about and learn all about it. Let it be about anything that sparks your interest to learn about some more. Let it be about aliens, or the Jupiter, or about cooking a delicious meal and different cultures.

Become a smarter more knowledgeable person not only about the subjects being taught in school but about anything that you've ever had a comment or question about. Then you will be able to work on your school work and have knowledge on something other than a course and have some fun facts for your future colleges.

And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Eating

Happiness

When you think of eating you think of happiness and satisfaction.

But when you're stuck doing a ton of assignments and homework or projects to be done you don't necessarily think of food. Right?

But you should think more about food!!

WHY?

Because what you feed your body and the way you nourish your body is what determines how your body will react and be able to cooperate with you and handle your daily tasks.

Try improving your meal options to choices that you know will give you energy rather than foods that you know personally make you feel really heavy and sleepy. The fresher and vibrant and much more varied your diet is will allow you to feel more awake and energized.

Start with switching some of your snack options or alternating them and try to see what work for your body and your reactions or noticed differences in your ability to work.


And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Puppies

Puppies

Do you have a puppy? or puppies? 

PLAY with them. Engulf yourself in your sheets with your puppy. Let them take your stress away. Puppies love you and you should love them back. They feel sad when you're sad or stressed so allow them to help you and make you feel better. 

Don't have puppies or a pet?

Make one. It's okay to be attached to something and pay attention to it. Just like puppies need attention become a part of something that never seems like a burden to you and you acknowledge with great pleasure and content. 

Take a break from your load of work and worries and become happy for a second. Have a plan and control as to when to stop and continue your work so you can finish!

And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Prioritizing

Something that can seem really obvious and easy to do is to prioritize the aspects of your life yet so many of us seem to dismiss that idea and refuse to incorporate it into our tasks.

Prioritize means to deal with an aspect in your own order of importance

Many times we think that everything in our lives is important and should be taken care of first and before even moving on to acknowledge a completely different task that we don't even end up handling the first situation in the appropriate way or at all. We become overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done and tasks that need to be completed.

Majority if not all the time, teachers are constantly offended when students show signs of interest in another class or place another class higher in their importance scale. But in reality that is what needs to be done. Being a student there are certain classes that you can't even imagine missing an assignment in or putting their homework off until the end when it's 1 am and you're brain dead and we also have those classes that we are fine with finishing homework the next morning on the bus.

The interest in the courses varies depending on the students and their interests as well as easiness and capability of the subject. We have to put our teachers feelings to the side and listen to ourselves and make ourselves in control of our tasks and our routines for tackling the crazy amount of homework that is given to us.

Before starting your homework, take some time to yourself. Take about 30-45 minutes to yourself to go on social media or watch Netflix, or sleep. Take time to allow your brain to wonder off and become involved in something that you like to do. Then prioritize and make a list on a piece of paper of the homework you have and list it by how you feel you will be able to handle it and attack it in the most effective way.

ITS YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOUR ATTACKING SKILLS. Prioritize it in any way that you want. The most boring to the most exciting. The most challenging to the least. The most crafty one to the most time consuming. You decide how you want to take on the homework for the day.


Make your list and follow it at your own pace. Focus on what you need to get done and envision yourself when you finish it and how happy you'll be when you know you're going to be able to cross it out off of that unwanted list. Allow your brain to relax in between the homework that need to get done. After you finish one assignment give yourself a small break and keep in mind that you're just prepping yourself for how you're going to finally unwind when you've crossed everything off that list.

And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Sport/Physical Activity

Are you in a sport? Do sports even interest you? What about being healthy?

Something that receives different kinds of attention for pretty much everyone is physical activity.

I play Softball and have been playing it for 3 going on 4 years now. At first I thought it was just a sport that I played for fun and because its cool but then second semester of sophomore year came and it completely changed my feelings for the sport I played.

I came to realize that going to practice 4-5 times a week actually helped me relieve my stress and any kind of frustration that I had. There were times when I would go to practice and completely forget about any problem or situation that had been bothering me earlier in the day.The short time period that we didn't practice I felt trapped and unable to feel at ease.

ENDORPHINS

Endorphins were the reason why I felt at peace and happy when I was at practice. Endorphins are the chemicals that your body releases that allow you to reach feelings of euphoria. Neurotransmitters that transmit the message or signal from one neuron to the next. 

Try a sport, any sport. Softball, Basketball, Baseball, Handball, Soccer, Track, Volleyball, Swimming, Golf, Dancing... If sports isn't really your thing do other kinds of physical activities. 

Go out for a walk with someone, go run a lap around the block, go to a safe and cozy area and stretch your body. 

Make being physically active become a habit of yours and incorporate it in your daily life. Understand your body and how you can make yourself feel better and in control. If you don't like being on a constant routine switch it up and allow yourself to try new things and you might just find your next favorite hobby. 

And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Talk it Out

When something really exciting or spontaneous happens we all are aching to tell someone close to us about our experience, encounter or situations and all hope to enjoy the happiness or excitement that the moment presented us with.

Why don't we share our feelings or concerns in a form of desperation for other people to know when it comes to feeling stressed or uncomfortable with any school related issues?

      

          Well for starters one of my biggest excuses was always that I didn't want anyone else to feel burdened because of me or in any way feel a tad bit of distress that I know I have caused. Another excuse was that other people wouldn't even care so I probably shouldn't even waste my own time trying to relate to someone who has no idea how I feel especially if I don't even understand what I myself am feeling let alone try to explain it to someone.

BUT... the truth is releasing all those thoughts and concerns can seriously help you more than you ever thought. 

And yes we ARE teenagers and are supposed to go through all these physical and emotional changes...of course, and we all knew that because in elementary school, probably 5th grade, they showed the funky videos or spoke about these changes and we were all grossed out or confused or found it hilarious but it still stuck with us when we entered middle school and saw a couple of the changes actually taking place. But something that I don't ever remember hearing or being spoken to about or even slightly mentioned is the stress and desperation that can possibly come with keeping all of our emotions bottled up. 

The hardest part of this one is finding your rock. And by rock I mean person. That one person who will keep you grounded and always be there for you when your about to blow away in the swift of unwanted and unsatisfactory emotions that can come with school. It can be a family member, a friend, or someone you're not really close to. OR IT CAN BE ME !! Because honestly haven't we ever felt like sometimes we can relate to or connect with people that we don't usually talk to and feel that sense of security and comfort in telling them personal things. 

Once you've found that person and have reached a level  of comfort... just let it out. Mumble it. Get tongue tied. Repeat yourself a million times. Contradict yourself. Just let the word and the feelings come out of you. Allow your brain to then make connections and form sentences and phrases that you find appropriate to describe your situation and standing point. 

And again, I really understand how hard it can be to begin trying to tell someone. But I PROMISE you that once you share your feelings or concerns with your rock, it get better. You feel better, you feel different. Maybe just for that moment but you allow yourself to rest your worries for a bit and feel freedom. Allow your self to receive feedback or advice and you decide if you ever want to put those into practice or not but don't be closed minded and think that nothing will change. 

And remember... You can get through this semester. 

Take a Breather

Oh man. You have all this homework to get done and assignments that need to be caught up to date and just thinking about the last little piece of information that your teacher gave you before the weekend came has you sitting in the same spot at your house for hours now. You begin to try and relax yourself for a bit but somehow you end up feeling like the air in your body is confined in your lungs and you find it harder to relieve yourself.

You sometimes forget that you're inside and absorbed in all these textbooks and papers and pencils and pens and your body begins to give you a sign that it can use a little bit of fresher air. 

You've been working very hard and for a long time and your body has been there supporting you for all these hours that you OWE it to your body and brain to allow fresher cleaner air to flow through your system.

I personally believe that Diaphragmatic breathing or Belly Breathing is one of the most helpful kinds of breathing. When you belly breathe you allow the fresh air to enter and circulate your lungs. 

Begin by exhaling first
-Release your rhythm of hyperventilation to begin deep breathing

• If you don't feel comfortable just yet to calm your breathing down while sitting or standing you can lie down and place your hands on your belly.
• Follow your chest as it rises and falls with the rhythm in which you're inhaling and exhaling
• Relax your shoulders and upper body muscles as you exhale 
• Inhale slowly for 3-4 seconds through your nose
• Hold it for a while (you decide how long is comfortable for you)
• Exhale for about 5 seconds through your mouth
• Take pauses between your breaths

Keep repeating this until you feel a little clearer minded. Allow your body to adjust to these habits and techniques so that you can put them to use on a daily basis and decrease the amount of anxiety that you can feel in a single sit in.

Hopes this helps! This seriously helps me and its fun to do from time to time 

And remember... You can get through this semester.