Some anxiety seeps in somewhere or the other. It is pretty difficult to sail completely smoothly through high school amidst competitive peers, heavy homework loads, and the occasional skirmish, whether it be with parent or friend.
What can be done about it? Different coping mechanisms work depending on the situation. Some natural and some employed with dexterity to achieve the evanescent state of peace again. I have a natural inclination to avoid conflict. If I’m stressed out I would much rather solve my issues alone. So, I go running or do some sort of mildly athletic activity to get my balance back.
When homework overloads get me buried, the first thing I do to calm down is to make a to-do list. Usually after everything is written down I can see there isn’t nearly as much to do as I thought. I like to add a few superfluous tasks too—just so I can make some check marks easily. I’m not that organized so I have a tendency to not write down everything I need in an agenda unless I’m really feeling the weight of the world. To-do lists written on spare pieces of paper, however, I manage to hold on to until every item has been checked off.
Another large stressor is the fellow human being. This type of agitation is more arduous to deal with. A person can much less easily be categorized and filed away than a simple chore. Sometimes it is better to work it out verbally. Occasionally an apology would suffice as a solution. Many times evading the issue works while everyone involved cools down and relaxes. Unfortunately, there is great uncertainty in the right way to deal with people.
But the ultimate solution if you’re feeling really down is to try watching some hilarious television.
