The sun on your face. The ocean waves crashing against the cliffs. The sand in-between your toes. Imagine lounging on the beaches of sunny California, in a remote area where no stress could ever find you. To high school students, I’m sure this sounds like a dream. The reality is that students barely have time to breathe, let alone relax! With school, work, friends, chores, and homework, it’s astounding that not all students have succumb to major stress. Still, stress is ubiquitous and a large percent of the student body suffer from it. I have gathered ten helpful tips for all students that may help relieve some of the pressure of everyday life.
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Thwart stress: Taking a breather can help a tremendous amount. You need time for yourself. If you feel overwhelmed, step aside for a minute and breathe. Count to ten, and then continue with what you were doing. I would suggest mediation once a week as well.
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Study ahead of time: Don’t be fretful of a test. Start studying a week ahead of time. Review a little bit each night, and you’ll retain the information much more easily.
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Get a planner: Managing your time can be excruciatingly difficult. Having a planner to write it all down in can make life simpler and reduce stress dramatically.
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Don’t respite: Get a jump start on projects. Don’t push them back, or you might get too overwhelmed and rush it.
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Get sleep: With no sleep, your body cannot function as well. Feeling drowsy, down, stressed, or having no energy are all harbingers that you need more rest in the PM.
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Eat breakfast: Even having a muffin in the morning can help kick start your day and get your brain functioning. It’s the most important meal of the day!
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Study in peace: If you have trouble focusing, you may want to find a secluded area where you can focus on your studies. It’ll be difficult to focus sounds reverberate through your house constantly.
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Get help: If a certain subject has you confused, don’t be scared to ask for help. Your teachers are there to support and guide you.
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Goals: Put up a bulletin board in your room that you would see every day. Print off some pictures of what you want (i.e. good grades, a nice house) and tack them on your board.
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Take some time off: There should be some time for fun. Take a weekend off once in awhile to spend with your friends. Social lives shouldn’t totally be ignored.

These are only ten tips. Feel free not to follow them, but for some they will be beneficial. I understand that stress affects high school students around the nation, but there are ways to fight it. I’m hoping that this letter can help you enjoy your life more and relieve at least some of your stress.