School Stress: 8 Ways to Deal

Between the back-to-back classes, assignments, and stress from your family - it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Some people turn to drugs, like weed, as a way to calm their nerves. But that's not a good idea.

Drug use causes permanent damage to your brain (which just makes things worse), and can leave you with lifelong issues.

See these eight ways you can get rid of stress without turning to drugs.

Listen to Music

Music has a tremendous impact on a person’s state of mind. Classical music in particular is known to have a calming effect on the body. Not into classical? No prob! Listening and singing along to any genre of music can be a major stress reliever and help to increase productivity!

Take a Walk

Have you been cramming for a test for hours? Go outside! Breathing in fresh air increases energy and in addition, sunlight improves your mood and helps to prevent stress.

Sing, Dance or Write

Find your creative outlet and immerse yourself in it when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Studies show that engaging in creative activities can reduce stress.

teen girl looking into fridge at healthy food

Watch What You Eat

Diet plays a major role in how our bodies react to stress. Leafy greens, oranges, salmon, and dark chocolate are just a few foods that are known to help boost the mood and lessen stress.

Get it Off Your Chest

Do you have tough teachers this year? Is there drama in your friend circle? Whether you get good advice from them or not, just venting to your (drama-free) friends or family about what’s stressing you is a pretty good way to get it out of your system, or at least reduce it.

Just Breathe

In between classes, before a test ,or whenever you’re feeling stressed, try taking a deep breath in and out (inhale five seconds, exhale five seconds). This can make a huge difference. Meditation, even for a short time, is one of the top ways you can destress during your very active days.

List of Free Guided Meditations from Mindful.org

Sleep

Stress and a lack of sleep go hand in hand. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that teens get between eight and ten hours of sleep every night. Because many teens tend to stay up late and then get up early for school, they simply aren’t getting enough. This causes stress hormones to increase.

Don’t Overbook Yourself

You can’t do it all, so don’t even try. Whether it’s because of your fear of missing out (FOMO), a desire to pad college applications, or pressure from friends, being too busy isn’t healthy and leads to stress. Narrow down your activity list to only include the things that are most important to you.