The Health Clinic at the high school can be a very busy place. The two nurses manage a variety of student and staff needs, and no one day is like the next.
The bulk of each day’s Clinic visits are typically headaches or sore throats and cold symptoms. However, when looking more closely, stress and lack of sleep are at the root of many Clinic visits.
High school is a challenging and exciting time. You are becoming young adults and learning to manage more and more responsibility. The adolescent brain is on an automated path of development, driving you toward the ultimate developmental goal of surviving and thriving in the world without the need of immediate support from your guardians or other adults.
As you are focusing on your futures, you are also testing your own limits of how much responsibility and activities you can take on successfully. Participation in sports, arts, drama, volunteer programs, social life, family life, jobs, religious activities and many other things have to fit in with your academic workload.
It is during this time of increasing responsibility that teens can easily experience stress and lack of sleep. There are steps you can take to avoid getting overwhelmed and run down by stress and sleep deprivation.
First, it’s important to know your limitations. Recognizing when you have taken on too many activities is a lesson that you will learn throughout your life. Reduce what can be eliminated or cut back if you find you cannot manage the current load. This could be reduced work hours, choosing between two after-school activities or getting up earlier on the weekend to finish an assignment.
This is true for all aged people, not just adolescents, and adults often have to prioritize and rethink plans as life situations change. A small amount of stress is healthy and helps you learn to push yourself, such as the rush to complete a complex assignment on time. However, too much stress and stretching yourself too thin is not physically or mentally healthy.
Second, control the things you can control. You may not be able to control how much homework is assigned or how late a team travel event will keep you up, but ensuring good nutrition and proper hydration will provide your body physically with a good foundation to manage the stresses that come up. Exercise is a proven way to reduce stress, and keeping a healthy body by maintaining a normal exercise routine is good for you both physically and mentally. Yoga, in particular, has been found to be a great activity that promotes a healthy body and mind.
Third, develop the habit of a good sleep routine. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that adolescents should get 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep each night. Avoiding screens in the last hour before bed is a very important step in creating a healthy sleep routine. If you refuse to turn off your electronic device, computer or TV prior to sleep, at the very least dim the screen you are using. Adequate sleep boosts your immune system and will help your body fight off common viral illnesses.
Another important thing to remember as you are managing stress in your adolescent years and beyond is the importance of asking for help when you are struggling.
You should let your families or guardians know when you feel overwhelmed. If this is not an option or you feel you tried and your concerns were not heard, reach out to a favorite school staff person, your doctor, a coach or a religious leader.
Bottom line; don’t be afraid to let a trusted adult help you. Stress can snowball into a seemingly unmanageable situation. Often times there are steps that can be taken to help alleviate the situation, and sometimes just talking about it with an adult can help to lessen the hold it can take.
