Are you worried about college? Are you worried about your SAT/ACT score?  Do you have this constant fear that your best isn’t good enough? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this article is for you. Stress is so common for our generation that I am pretty sure that most people answered “yes” to one of those questions. 

Attention all high school students, I am writing this article for you. Well, I mean you can read this if you aren’t in high school because I think it’ll be helpful for everyone, but I definitely want all high school kids to read this. Dear Generation Z (1996-2010), did you know that we were the most stressed generation? Actually, according to The Economist, “Generation Z is stressed, depressed, and exam-obsessed.”

Why is our generation so worried? We are constantly being pressured about school. A lot of our lives revolve around what we are going to do when we get older. We’re expected to have our lives figured out as teenagers. This is something that pushes most teenagers to their limit. Why should a 16-year-old have to have their life plan figured out now? Our brains aren’t fully developed until we are 25-years-old, so it isn’t reasonable for teenagers to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at this point of time.

All of these standards society has for us, push teenagers to go to unhealthy stress relievers. According to a 2017 drug survey for high school students, 37.1% of high school seniors use marijuana. I know some who turn to drugs whenever they have a bad day. They would rather sit around with their friends and smoke than talk about their problems. It’s like teenagers are scared to let their friends know the real them because they’re so scared that their our friends will end up turning into “snakes,” so no one is able to be vulnerable anymore.

A more serious issue is that a lot of teenagers start to feel like their life is purposeless. They feel like they are a waste of space and that there isn’t any other choice than to leave this Earth. There has been a 47% increase of suicide rates from 2007 for people aged 15-19 years old. One factor that contributes to this is that teenagers don’t take care of their mental health.

I think everyone should practice self care. It’s not as simple as it seems. Self care isn’t just tween girls sitting around while wearing face masks and talking about their crushes; it goes much deeper than that. Self care is about honoring your body, by respecting your mental and physical well-being. It’s about understanding yourself and realizing that you deserve to have the best mental state. It’s about learning not to let stress build up in you and learning how to let it go in a healthy manner. Everyone deserves to be selfish and deserves to spend time on their self. 

Here are some of the best healthy stress relievers you can do.

Sleep

A lot of high school students don’t get their recommended 8-10 hours of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can affect your productivity. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, it’s ok to come home and take a nap. It’s not a waste of time because when you wake up you’ll be more productive.

Exercise

I know you might look at this one like I am crazy, but trust me it works. Studies have shown that when you work out, your body produces endorphins, which makes you feel happier. Working out doesn’t have to be boring, there are many fun ways to get your daily workout in.

• Join a sports team (at school or at the recreation center)
• Do a dance workout in the comfort of your home
• Jog/ walk around the block while listening to music
• Go to your local skating rink 

Music

This stress reliever is so simple and common that you probably do it all the time. Music can help you so much, and it’s easy enough to incorporate it into all parts of your life.

• Turn on some music while getting ready in the morning to help set the tone for your day.
• Pop in your headphones while you’re doing your chores so you won’t be mad about cleaning
• Make a studying playlist to help you focus on homework

Drawing/Coloring

This can be as complex as making a sculpture to as simple as doodling on your homework. Drawing can help distract you from the negative thoughts that are in your mind. This is probably why coloring books are trending.

At the end of the day, in our generation, stress is inevitable. But we all need to start taking care of our mental health, so we can stop burning out.

I know that you might live a very busy life, but it is essential to take care of your mental health.