How are you holding up?
Are you feeling tired, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, worried or
frustrated? This time of year often brings a range of stress-related
feelings. The holidays can be stressful. Exams can be stressful.
High school life can be stressful. The counselors are here to help!
Obviously, if you are struggling, I want to talk to you! I want to problem-solve with you and help develop a plan for managing the feelings and experiences you are going through.
Stress comes from a range of events and life circumstances. When positive things happen such as getting a new job, dating someone new, or graduating from high school, stress levels increase. And, obviously, stress levels are higher when negative things take place like failing a test, fighting with family or friends, or having a lot to do in a limited amount of time. Quite simply, the reality is that stress is a part of life and it cannot be escaped, but it is important to learn strategies for dealing with stress.
Holidays can also create stress because expectations tend to be higher during holidays. Families are often together and sometimes that means lots of questions about your college plans or it could mean that siblings who are off to college are home and the change in routine can cause challenges. Students whose parents are divorced are often juggling multiple holidays and trying to be in several places at once which is never easy. Whatever the circumstances are for your family, try to remember that even though the holiday may not be the picture of perfection that you might see portrayed on movies or TV shows, it can still be enjoyable - even if it is stressful.
Finding the stress relievers that are effective in your own life is important not only during the holidays, but throughout the year. Talking to friends, journaling, drawing, reading, listening to music, running, coloring, playing sports, spending time with your pets, taking a walk, dancing, exercising, watching a funny movie, or helping someone less fortunate are all examples of some simple stress relievers that might be ideas you can consider utilizing.
Obviously, if you are struggling, I want to talk to you! I want to problem-solve with you and help develop a plan for managing the feelings and experiences you are going through.
Stress comes from a range of events and life circumstances. When positive things happen such as getting a new job, dating someone new, or graduating from high school, stress levels increase. And, obviously, stress levels are higher when negative things take place like failing a test, fighting with family or friends, or having a lot to do in a limited amount of time. Quite simply, the reality is that stress is a part of life and it cannot be escaped, but it is important to learn strategies for dealing with stress.
Holidays can also create stress because expectations tend to be higher during holidays. Families are often together and sometimes that means lots of questions about your college plans or it could mean that siblings who are off to college are home and the change in routine can cause challenges. Students whose parents are divorced are often juggling multiple holidays and trying to be in several places at once which is never easy. Whatever the circumstances are for your family, try to remember that even though the holiday may not be the picture of perfection that you might see portrayed on movies or TV shows, it can still be enjoyable - even if it is stressful.
Finding the stress relievers that are effective in your own life is important not only during the holidays, but throughout the year. Talking to friends, journaling, drawing, reading, listening to music, running, coloring, playing sports, spending time with your pets, taking a walk, dancing, exercising, watching a funny movie, or helping someone less fortunate are all examples of some simple stress relievers that might be ideas you can consider utilizing.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6th during lunch periods all of the
counselors will be hosting a stress-relieving workshop where we will be working
with students on developing coping skills strategies. This will include
identifying strategies you can use to help manage stress-related feelings and
personalizing plans that can help you if you are feeling overwhelmed. I
hope you will bring your lunch into Room 120 and join us for the lunch-chat and
start developing your own personal coping skills resource!
(and we can handle that!) :-)
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