Stress Keeps Me Up at Night

The Jag, Staff Writer

Dear Jag,

I get stressed very easily about tests and homework. My stress gets so bad that it can keep me up at night. Do you have advice to help me manage my stress?

Dear Stress Mess,

I completely understand your struggle with stress. More people than you realize are going through a similar situation. As far as managing your workload, I would advise you to make daily plans that are achievable in a single day. Do not give yourself too many tasks to complete. Be realistic. If you list all of your assignments and tests for each week, you can prioritize them in a better way. Once you have all of your tasks assigned on a designated day, there is less of a reason to stress because you will have everything planned out. I know that this allows me to feel as if I can accomplish all of my work in a timely manner.

In the bigger picture, it is important that you find a system that works effectively for you, and that you stick to that system. When you have a set schedule, it can reduce a good amount of the stress that you are feeling. As far as stress interfering with sleep, make sure that you discover your limit, the time at night when you are not productive in completing work or studying. You can make sure that you only work up until this point, and then get the right amount of sleep for you. There is always time to finish work, but it should never interfere with a decent night of sleep. I find that going to sleep slightly earlier than normal, and then waking up a bit earlier in the morning is a good system. Oftentimes rest allows you to process information better. It is early on in your high school career, so it is important that you do not stress too much, work to the best of your ability and enjoy these next four years.

Good Luck!

Jag Staff