The schools in District 214 have been back in session for over a month now. Teachers have given multiple tests, assignments, and presentations, and students have all sorts of things going on in and out of the classroom. School can be a lot to handle on its own, but the addition of work, family issues, and relationships can be overwhelming. Side effects? Stress, stress, and more stress. 

“Expectations cause me stress,” sophomore Joanna Giba said. Like many other stressors, expectations can push you to exceed further, or they can get out of control. I’ve felt like some expectations were unattainable and when it got to that point, I had to reassess myself. Was I pushing myself to go further because I wanted to make myself proud, or was I stressing myself out to make someone else proud? Sometimes the momentary stress is worth it, but other times it isn’t. 

Everyone experiences some kind of stress eventually, and its effects are different for everyone. During a presentation, for example. One person could experience distress (overwhelming stress) that leads them to feel sick to their stomach, unprepared and panicked. Another person could feel exhilarated, and fully concentrated, (feelings caused by eustress, a motivating stress.) These people have different feelings based on many factors. 

A person’s reaction to the stress they’re put under is an important factor. The way people deal with their stress is as different as their experiences. “[When I get stressed] I tend to listen to music and make sure I surround myself with a reliable support system,” sophomore Olivia Kawula said.

 Some people don’t always have the same shoulder to lean on when they need it, but there are other things that can help, such as coping mechanisms. The effectiveness of each coping mechanism is different for everyone, but you can still give them a try. Personally, I like drawing, journaling, meditating and making sure I’m taking breaks/well rested. It helps me to ease my mind when I feel like everything is too much to handle. 

There are such things as negative mechanisms. They can oftentimes hurt your mental, social, and physical health and performance. For example, pushing away help, putting on a deprecating mindset, overworking oneself, and avoiding issues altogether. These are things I’ve done before, and later realized did not do me much good. 

 While sometimes I thought these things were for the better, they just weren’t. It’s easy to fall back into bad habits, but sometimes all it takes is a deep breath to calm down and be able to decide if something is good or bad for yourself. 

Take a moment to breathe; realize what you need.