As teenagers, we have a lot going on in our lives. Sports, clubs, hobbies, school, friends, homework, and more take up every single second of our days. This leads to a lot of stress. “The strain of homework and extracurriculars has affected my stress level greatly.”Avery Garza said. Kaitlyn Laibe, “My amount of stress depends on how much sleep I get.”

However, you can help get all that stress off your shoulders, and maybe even have some free time. Desert Vista counselor Kate Doud suggests creating a concrete routine for after school. “Creating a routine for yourself can be a good way to make sure things like homework, studying for test, and reading gets done before you turn off your brain for the night.” Advises Ms. Doud. She also claims that a quiet study environment can be very helpful to students. Ms. Doud says that you should pick a quiet place with no distractions, such as TV or laptops. Having a planner can also be very helpful with being organized and getting all assignments in on time. Some students become very stressed when they have too much on their plate. Eventually, something will fall off, meaning that you can’t keep up with something imprtant becuause of how many activities and plans you have piled on. Balance is a key factor in living a non-stressful life. Ms. Doud suggests exercise, good food, relaxation, and spending quality time with friends and family to help create balance.

Students at Desert Vista have more experiences and opinions on stress level. Madi Cadwell says, “I get stressed when I am assigned a lot of homework.” Yasmine Haddad said , “Homework can make me stressed because I always forget to finish one assignment then I start to freak out and I can’t get anything done.” Students even begin to develop strange habits because of stress.“My best friend, Desiree Minnis eats tacos when she’s stressed” said Devon Vinales.

The bottom line? Stress can be fixed. Create a reasonable routine, find a quiet study space, and make sure you have balance. Then, you will find that you have more time to relax and have fun!