How to Manage Stress During your Senior Year of High School

It's your senior year of high school and you probably did not expect to be spending your final year in a pandemic. This time of the year can be extremely stressful as you are prepping to wrap up your final year of high school and transition to being an adult. Perhaps, you are waiting to hear back from colleges or taking a gap year to decide on what you're going to do. No matter what you decide, we know attending school in a pandemic can present its own set of challenges. Here are some tips on how you can manage some stressors that show up.

1. Create a schedule.

Sometimes, it's hard to create a schedule when you are spending all day at home for school. Use a planner or dry erase board to keep track of your schedule. Utilize your schedule to also add times to take a break, eat lunch, take a nap, etc.

2. Take breaks between challenging assignments.

Create a list of your assignments and break them down into manageable tasks. This is a great strategy to reduce any stressor when you are feeling overwhelmed with your homework assignments. In addition, remove any distractions that may be causing you to mismanage your time.

3. Ask for help.

Asking for help can be hard, but it can help to reduce some stressors. You may feel some sense of fear with asking for help with your assignments, but it requires you to be vulnerable with those who can assist you. When asking for help, be very specific about what you need from other people.

4. Plan a virtual game night with some friends.

You are already missing out on a lot of social events during your senior year, so get creative and host a game night with your friends. This is a great time to connect online outside of Google Classroom to chat with your friends about life, relationships, and social issues.

5. Plan an indoor spa day.

You made it through 2020 and deserve to treat yourself to a spa day. Although we are still in a pandemic, you can plan an indoor spa day with yourself. Pick a day out of your week to pamper yourself, enhance your facial regimen, paint your nails, play your favorite playlist, and eat some of your favorite snacks. Tell yourself "I deserve to take a break and rest".

This is your final year of high school and I hope you can find these tips helpful on your journey of destressing in a pandemic. Always remember to give yourself some grace.