Coping with Stress in High School

School’s been back for a month. As the frigid 60 degree weather warms up and we trade in our leggings for tank tops, we’re getting back into the swing of things. The monotonous rhythm of the school year can leave little time for excitement. Studying. Fine arts rehearsal. Sports practice. Test. Sleep (if you’re lucky). Repeat. 

Seven hours of school topped off with sports practice or a fine arts rehearsal can be overwhelming even on a good day.

If you’re feeling stressed out, know this: you are not alone. Feeling anxious, worried, or just generally sad is okay. No singular force - not teachers, not the workload, not you - can or should be blamed.

As upperclassmen, we’ve been there. Still awake at 2 in the morning, wondering how we ended up gazing listlessly at our computer screens, promising ourselves that we’ll never leave our work until the last minute again. Glancing down at a failed test and wanting to run screaming through the hallways, or crumple into our own self-pity and dismay.

We’d like to suggest an alternative to sinking into the maelstrom of our own emotions: the pursuit of a psychotherapeutic process known as cognitive restructuring. When you have irrational, negative thoughts, take a minute to reflect. You are privileged to attend school, when so many others can’t. But being a teenager is also hard, especially when you add hours of homework and the pressure to get into the “right” college.

When you get a C on your physics test, you shouldn’t despair that you won’t get into your dream school, or that your life is essentially shot. The bad and good in your life can coexist. Your struggles and triumphs are equally valid and important to the shaping of your character. 

We recognize that cognitive restructuring is no easy task. When you’re used to a train of thought centered around exaggerating the small things, taking a step back to think about the big picture seems impossible. 

So yes, when you get a bad grade, it’s perfectly okay to cry. When you don’t get the lead in the musical, go ahead and vent. You are even allowed to be sad for no reason. Sometimes things are inexplicably hard. Sometimes we reach a breaking point.

But after catharsis, take a step back and analyze. Remind yourself that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. All you can do is try your hardest and try to enjoy some parts of the process. 

Comparing yourself to others is the thief of joy. When you’re knee-deep in a culture that puts high achievers on a pedestal, it’s easy to despair over your own perceived inadequacy, especially if what seems important to you barely gets any recognition. 

Remember that everybody feels the same way you do sometimes. Even if they put on a great facade, everyone struggles. It’s normal. Even those people who seem perfect to you have their own ideas of how they’re falling short.

Life in high school can feel like the be-all, end-all. Everything, victories and losses included, is magnified and at times blown out of proportion. So let yourself be sad sometimes, but also recognize your own personal triumphs, especially if no one else does. And remember that at the end of the day, it’s still just high school.