Ways to stay sane during a stressful season

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Emmeline Roney

World traveler Emmeline Roney ’19 gives her monthly insight into both the joys and frustrations of life at East Grand Rapids High School.

Emmeline Roney, Copy Editor and Business Manager

The holiday season often brings along a host of unwelcome guests. Apace with the bliss of winter is a dizzying array of demands – both inside and outside of school.

We have rounded the corner into the most stressful season of the year, and with that I feel we must address students dire need to practice some basic emotional self-care. Midterms are lurking ominously before us, alongside a multitude of projects and papers, all crammed in before end of the semester.

In the midst of this emotionally taxing time, students have a tendency to overwork themselves in an effort to keep up with the pressure of school. This overwork can drive students to a state of constant stress, which is incredibly  harmful to both yourself and to your grades. It is imperative to find the necessary time and methods in which to de-stress.

Destressing does not require complete eradication of all of the stress in your life, but rather an effort to reaffirm control over the areas in your life that are triggering stress. As a body of well-rounded students, we must balance our commitments to a myriad of clubs, athletics, and academics and some days it seems as though there just isn’t any time in the day to unwind.

As much as you may feel that this is an impossible task, there are several things that can be done to deal with stress. The first is to prioritize; it is common for people to grow stressed due to the sheer magnitude of all that must be done. If this happens, simply compose a list of what absolutely must be accomplished. Be realistic, do not abandon healthy habits, and try to avoid procrastination.

The second aspect is self care. When you find yourself stressed, it is important to acknowledge your mental state. It is okay to put yourself first sometimes — at the core of self-aid is your relationship and connection to yourself.