How to relieve stress

Meet Kaitlin Rosinski, a junior at Webster Thomas High School in New York. She is a well-rounded student in every respect. This past year, she made high honor roll every report card, took every advanced class that was offered, played two sports and volunteered with the Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped (SABAH). Rosinski is glad to be so involved–it makes her feel like she has fulfilled her full potential. “I know I can challenge myself,” she says.

But as is the case with plenty of other students her age, going the extra mile with classes and extracurriculars has caused Rosinski a considerable amount of stress. Combine that with parental expectations and the ever-present worry about college acceptance, and that pressure multiplies.

It is incredibly easy to get caught up in a hectic lifestyle. Students with harder classes get more homework, and it often takes longer to do that work than it would for an easier course. With the addition of club meetings and sports practice, teens could potentially find themselves with a schedule more jam-packed than that of some Fortune 500 CEO’s. “It feels like there’s not enough time for anything,” says Kaitlin.

That includes finding time to manage stress. When life is taken up by swimming practice and algebra problems, yoga and relaxation are usually the last thing on anyone’s minds. When it does come up, many feel it is far too late to try to break the cycle.

Andrew Choi, a senior at Penfield (N.Y.) High School, can relate. “After I feel like I’ve relieved stress, Monday hits and it starts all over again,” he says.

Some high school students have found ways to deal in times of incredible stress. Nathan Dunham, 16, from Henrietta Christian School, likes to play video games to unwind. “You can take out your anger and stress on people and things without getting in trouble,” he says.

Exercise is another great way to find relief from day-to-day pressures. In his book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Times of Stress, Richard Carlson suggests yoga. “You simply feel too calm and centered to allow yourself to be rattled,” he writes.   Rosinski uses long runs to help her calm down.

Because hard work pays off so much in the long run, many students will continue to push themselves throughout their high school careers—and sometimes even longer than that. No matter what they do, stress is an unavoidable part of life. However, getting stuck in the cycle of stress is avoidable. All it takes is the time to discover what relaxation techniques work for you.

Caelyn Cobb, 16, is a student at Webster Thomas High School. She enjoys singing, acting, dancing, reading, Web design and writing.

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