Whether you're headed to college or work, you're going to come face
to face with some intimidating stuff after graduation. *
Your level of stress will most likely increase due to the demands of your classes
or job and to your exposure to alcohol or drugs; various forms of conflict will
arise, and you're going to have to keep up with your own health and nutrition.
Seem daunting? It's really not if you keep a level head about you and stick to
your core values. This section will help you work through the muddier side of
life after high school.
Jump out of bed and into the shower.
What to wear? Throw that on. Yuck-what's that stain? "Mom, where are my
clean socks?" Tick tock. No time
to grab a bite if you want to make the homeroom bell. Skid
around the comer and race for the classroom just as the final bell rings.
Whoops, forgot your bio book. Sports,
clubs, job, homework, friends on the phone, and finally (sigh) sleep.
Sound like your life? If you're like
most high school students that description probably hits pretty close to home.
So now we'll take your already hectic schedule and throw in the fact that
you'll soon be graduating and have to figure out what to do with your life. Can
you say "stress"?
Some people say that stress actually
motivates them to perform better, but we won't talk about those perfect people.
For most of you, stress means that you may snap at the dog, slam a few doors,
get mad at your mom, and feel down. Maybe you'll even have physical symptoms, stomach
disturbances, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, and dizziness. The list goes on.
Not a good place to be when you're dealing with a huge list of things to do,
plus graduation is staring you in the face.
How
to handle stress has been written about countless times, but out of all the
advice that's out there, a few simple pointers can really help you prevent the
sweaty palms and nauseated feeling in the pit of your stomach.
French fries out, good food in - Eat at
least one hot, balanced meal a day. Healthy, as in veggies, fruits, meats,
cheese, grains. Read further along in this section for more information about
nutrition and health.
Sleep - Seven, eight, ten hours a day. Easier said than done, but
well worth it. Sleep will not only get you through high school but also your
college and career lives, and it will help you stop feeling like such a
frazzled bunch of nerve endings.
Hug your dog, cat, rabbit, friend, or mom - Loneliness breeds stress because then all you've got is
yourself and those stressed-out thoughts zooming around in your head.
Get with friends - That takes time, but being with people
you like and doing fun things eases stress - as long as you don't overdo it.
Exercise - This does not include running down the
hall to make the bell. We’re talking 20 minutes of heart-pounding perspiration
at least three times a week. It's amazing what a little sweat can do to relax
you. Believe it or not, good posture helps too.
Don't smoke, drink, or use excessive amounts of
caffeine - Whoever told you that partying is the
way to relieve stress got it all wrong. Nicotine and alcohol actually take away
the things your body needs to fight stress.
Simplify your expenses -
Money can be a big stress factor. Think of ways to eliminate where you're spending
money so that the money you have doesn't have to be stretched so far. Be
creative. Share resources. Sell items you no longer use. Maybe put off buying
something you've been wanting.
Let your feelings out of your head - It takes time and energy to keep them bottled up inside.
Have regular conversations with your parents and siblings so that minor
annoyances can be solved when they're still small.
Organize your time - Prioritize
and deal with one small part of your life instead of trying to solve everything
in one shot.
Lighten up - When
you've graduated and are into whatever it is you'll end up doing, you'll look
back and realize that this was a teensy little part of your life. So look on
the bright side. The decisions you'll be making about your future are heavy,
but they won't be cut in stone. You can change them if they don't work out.
Most people get stressed when things
are out of control-too many things to do, too many decisions to make, or too
much information to digest. If you add not having enough time, enough money, or
enough energy to get it all done, you have the perfect recipe for stress.
Three stress-busting options:
Quick Fixes
for Stressful Moments
So, you've done all
these things and you're still feeling like you're being pulled in a million
directions. If your stress thermometer has hit the top, use these quick fixes
to help calm you down.
The secret is held in a
Chinese proverb:
The wisdom of life is the
elimination of nonessentials.
The good
thing about time is that much of it is yours to do with as you wish. You may
feel out of control and as if you must run to keep up with the conflicting
demands and expectations of your life. But we all have the same number of hours
in each day. The key is in how we spend them. The following tips are designed
to help you spend your time wisely and to keep you in control of your life.
Prepare a list of your
goals and the tasks necessary to accomplish them. This could be by day, week,
month, semester, or even year: You may also want to break the list into
sections, such as friends and family, school, work, sports, health and fitness,
home, personal development, and college preparation.
Prioritize
based on time-sensitive deadlines. Use a grading system to code how important
each task is. A is "Do It Now," B is "Do It Soon," C is
"Do It Later." Understand the difference between
"important" and "urgent."
Be realistic about how much
you can really do. Analyze how you spend
your time now. What can you cut? How much time do you truly have for each task?
Think ahead.
How many times have you underestimated how long it will take to do something?
Plan for roadblocks, and give yourself some breathing space.
Accept responsibility. Once
you decide to do something, commit yourself to it. That doesn't mean that a
task that was on the "A" list can't be moved to the "C"
list. But be consistent and specific about what you want to accomplish.
Divide and conquer. You
may need to form a committee, delegate tasks to your parents, or ask for help
from a friend. That is why it is called time management.
Take advantage of
your personal prime time. Don't schedule
yourself to get up and do homework at 6 a.m. if you are a night owl. It won’t work. Instead, plan complex tasks when you are most efficient.
Avoid
procrastination. There are a million ways to procrastinate. And not one of
them is a good reason if you really want to get something done. Have you ever
noticed that you always find time to do the things you enjoy?
Do
the most unpleasant task first. Get it over with. Then it will be downhill from there.
Don't
over-prepare. That is just another way to procrastinate.
Learn
to say no to the demands on your time that you cannot
afford.
Be enthusiastic, and
share your goals with others.
If you set too many
goals at once, you will overwhelm yourself from the start. Remember, what is
important is the quality of the time you spend on a task, not the quantity. It
doesn't make any difference if you study for 10 hours if you don't recall a
thing you've reviewed. The overall goal is to be productive, efficient, and
effective, not just busy. You'll also need to pace yourself. All work and no
play makes for an unbalanced person.
Use all the
benefits of modern technology to help you manage time. You can save lots of
time by using a fax, e-mail, or voice mail. If you don't already use a day
planner or calendar, you would be wise to invest in one. Write in all the
important deadlines, and refer to it often. Block out commitments you know you
have so you won't over-schedule yourself. When you do over-schedule yourself or
underestimate the time it takes to accomplish a task, learn from your mistakes.
But don't get too down on yourself. Give yourself a pep talk every now and then
to keep yourself positive and motivated.
* Get A Jump, New England
published by Peterson's, a division of Thompson Learning, Inc.