According to The New York Times, Yale researchers found that nearly 80% of high schoolers reported feeling stressed. As BHA students ourselves, we can say that we also experience stress and feel it around us while in school. Students talk about how stressful exams and an overload of work can be. When students feel like this, they often cope by procrastination or avoidance. The overwhelming feeling that a student’s workload can cause leads to preparation methods which are unhealthy, including sleeping late, drinking multiple energy drinks, procrastination, and avoidance, all of which can lead to more stress and anxiety. However, as BHA students, we should be pivoting to methods which reduce anxiety, improve our mental and physical health, and help decrease our workload all at the same time.
The workload of a typical high school student at BHA looks like studying, homework, and all types of extracurriculars. This can be a lot for one student to handle after being dismissed from school.
Students should be using methods that don’t affect their health and keep them productive to tackle this workload. One of these methods is time management. This helps students plan out their week so they do not have to cram everything the night before. Ways to do this can include a physical planner or a reminder app. Students should be aware of assessments they have before the week starts by checking Google Classroom and Sycamore often. It is important to take breaks from studying every once in a while to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. Students should also prioritize getting a good night’s sleep of at least 7-9 hours. Even if a student studies for hours, if they are tired and need sleep, it will be pointless and ineffective as they will be unable to focus. Physical activity has also been proven to reduce stress by releasing endorphins, so taking even a small 5 minute walk a day can make you less stressed. Praying to Allah can also help you feel more relieved when in hardship. When in deep stress or anxiety, breathing techniques can help calm you down as well. Taking a second to breathe deeply and stepping away from what you’re doing can make a big difference in managing your stress.
Ultimately as BHA students who try to be exemplary in multiple aspects of their lives, from the spiritual to the physical level, we must always remember how to deal with stress. When stress comes our way, we must immediately deal with it instead of allowing it to build up and control our lives and daily actions. While excellence within your subjects is beneficial and is what we should be striving for, we must remember that it is not the end of the world if we are unable to achieve everything. Rather, we should strive to do what we can without stressing ourselves out.
