Now that it’s the final stretch of the school year, the crushing pressure of incoming exams and grades being finalized creates a desperation for relief. Academic burnout can be felt in the groans and sighs of each student as they walk into class and are bombarded with yet another test or sickeningly thick review packet.
With all the worries weighing on students’ shoulders, a day of self-care can go a long way with resetting and easing that “world is caving in on me” feeling. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of something you really enjoy and using it as an outlet to help regulate your thoughts.
The perfect night after a stressful week of school for many teens involves a snug bed, long shower, comfy pajamas, and their favorite movie.
Start the night off by spooning cookie dough into a skillet and popping it into the oven, waiting for it to cook before putting a hefty three scoops of vanilla ice cream on the top. Hang out with a family member and put on a comedy movie, or a thriller if that’s what you’re into, and overdose on some sugar-fueled dopamine.
Do Not Disturb mode provides an escape for a couple hours to enjoy the movie and truly experience the lack of urgency. Planning a night of relaxation from academics and social interactions is a surefire way to press pause on the overflow of unchecked “To do” boxes.
If the dread of the next day is too much, taking off a period in the morning or going home early can ease the mental load. This isn’t a viable option all the time, with the stress of missing tests and quizzes defeating the purpose of taking the period off. However, knowing the school day will be five hours instead of seven provides a surprising amount of comfort for many.
Everyone has explicit responsibilities – school, work, chores – but learning to turn down the less vital ones may offer the relief needed by students. If Ms. Hutchins next door needs a dog-sitter while she takes her bi-weekly Pilates class, a polite decline allows for that crucial bit of free time to remain open.
Address the root of the stress
While the aforementioned coping mechanisms are helpful for some, others prefer to attack academics and eliminate the problem with intense focus.
Creating a schedule for homework and studying, along with free time allotted, removes the frenzy of scrambling to do everything at once. If 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. is set to be used for chemistry worksheets, the student no longer needs to be concerned about fitting other assignments in that time frame.
This also offers an incentive to focus on homework before it becomes a pressing issue, rather than procrastinating and causing more panic. Gradually getting work done throughout the week goes a long way when it comes to homework and studying.
Working in a familiar place like a bedroom may be comforting, but overall, can lead to decreased productivity. Try working near someone who will hold you accountable or just switch up your surroundings. If that isn’t enough, maybe a coffee shop or a local Panera could be the push to lock in.
Escaping the grind
However, focusing too much energy on schoolwork can lead to your social life taking its final, raspy breaths before the school year ends.
An excerpt from a book ???? on the psychological impacts of maintaining the same, unhealthy habits everyday states, “Making changes to behaviors might result in reductions in unhealthy levels of anxiety and depression, because the individual is freed from the unhelpful automatic habits that are at odds with other cognitive needs or wants.”
Put another way, even though pausing schoolwork for a bit may seem counterintuitive, the reduction of anxiety and stress will make it easier to complete work in a healthy way.
The power of a cooler loaded up with soft drinks and a speaker blasting Party in the U.S.A. at the beach should never be underestimated, though some may not find the idea of sweating in the hot sun for hours on end very appealing.
For those, a day at the mall or lunch at Chick-Fil-A may be more up their alley. Everyone loves chicken! (apologies to the vegetarians).
Sometimes the best way to cope is to foster relationships with those around you. Even with all that’s on modern students’ plates, sinking into a lonesome, academia-centered haze is not the answer.
Conclusion
If you decide to disregard this very intelligent advice, don’t blame anyone else for your continual suffering and academic burnout. Instead, smooth on a soothing aloe face mask, get that outing out of the group chat, and most importantly, don’t let the pressure of another stressful year smother the determination to enjoy your youth.
The Gossip Girls are junior staff writers Kate Higginbotham and Abby Lorja