Going back to school means school work flooding in while school events start up, and the heat slowly dies down from the summer everyone assumed would last forever. This quick start can lead to many things for students, but most negatively, mental health stands in jeopardy yet again. How do high school students keep a healthy state of mind and remain confident as the year progresses? Through self-care! Self-care determines how students treat themselves, how each person reacts to stressors or specific situations, and how people grow.
Treating yourself with high self-worth is important, and to do this students need to have a place they feel comfortable in, and a separate place they can focus in. A place or activity that can bring comfort is great for rewarding yourself or taking a break. Having fun is a big part of self-care. Find something that you find fun. I know it may seem childish, but identifying what releases stress (hopefully besides scrolling on your phone) will set up students with a consistent task they can do when stress begins to creep up.
Identifying a student’s load is the first step toward a healthy mental state. Using a constructive list, it is time to begin completing tasks. Take this from a person who procrastinates until five minutes before class: it is not worth it. The lens I use to focus with during the school year is my goals. There will be moments I can take pleasure in leisure or break time activities, but prioritizing school work best aids me in achieving my goals. I have had to realign my thinking to prioritize learning over time spent on social media, watching television, or playing video games. It feels so much better to complete your tasks early, then use leftover time to take care of yourself. But it is important to note that when stress starts to build, break up your workload to focus on both your priorities. Maybe take a nice walk, have a bowl of ice cream, or even watch a video uploaded by your favorite vlogger. To begin self-care students must hold themselves accountable to take on the workload that they signed up for and complete it while taking their mental health into consideration; set yourself up for success not failure!