Have you ever felt like you’re at the end of your rope? Like no matter how hard you try to finish your responsibilities, you’re drowning in work? Or like even when you accomplish your goals you’re stressed out? If so, you might be at a breaking point.
Last semester, between school, work, clubs, and my swim team, I was overwhelmed. I would work at my school all morning and afternoon, then I would practice and work until late evening, and when I came home and ate dinner at 8:00, I would still have school and extracurricular responsibilities to finish. In between all of that, I had swim meets, appointments, projects, and college research, and I still wanted to spend time with my family!
I am sure I’m not the only one who has experienced a busy lifestyle. Whether it’s from a variety of commitments, school alone, or mostly extracurriculars, most of us have experienced some form of stress in this year of school. How can we balance all of this and still have a good relationship with our family and grow in our Christian walk?
Dropping something
One of the best ways to relieve stress is to take something off your schedule. Unfortunately, this is also usually one of the hardest, especially at this point in the school year. Sometimes, you might not be able to quit anything right now, but you can still change your plans for next year.
Last semester, I had six classes. However, because of dual enrollment and self-paced classes, I was able to start this semester with only four classes. If I really wanted to, I probably could have found something to take the place of those classes. Finding things to do has never been a problem for me. But, I knew that doing so would only overwhelm me again, so I decided to stick with the four classes so I would have more time for other things this year.
If you feel like you need to drop something, take a close look at your schedule. What commitments do you have that it may be possible to stop or take a break from? Can you work a few hours less, drop a sport, or step down from a smaller leadership position in a club?
School is obviously a bit harder to do anything about at this point. Nevertheless, if you have six classes this year and you are completely overwhelmed, you may need to consider whether six classes next year will be necessary. The same goes for extracurriculars that you can’t drop right now. Finish them strong but consider whether you need to participate in the same ones next year.
Prayer
Sometimes, the source of your stress may not be from having too much to do currently, but from feeling like there is too much to decide for the future. High school is full of decisions about classes, extracurriculars, majors, colleges, and careers. It can be overwhelming to think about, and you may feel stuck every time the subject comes to mind.
Many of us find ourselves in this position. It’s scary to have to think about how your life will be different in just a couple of years, and it can be stressful to find the best option. As I’ve been struggling through decisions, one of the things that’s helped most is prayer. Even when I can’t hear or see an answer, prayer brings peace and slightly more confidence about the future. In fact, no matter where my stress comes from, praying for peace and wisdom about my situation always helps, even though I don’t always receive a clear answer.
And if you feel stuck, like there’s not much you can do about your position at least for the time being, ask God to give you the strength to do your best and keep going even when it seems really tough.
Talk about it
Lastly, you don’t have to be overwhelmed alone. Ask your parents or older siblings for advice. If you don’t know how to lessen your stress, what to drop, or even how to pray about it, your parents, older siblings, or even your younger siblings may have an idea about how to help. Talking through your concerns can help you calm down and think more clearly.
You can also turn to your friends. Ask them to pray for you and ask them how God has helped them through stressful times. Talk to them about what you’re experiencing. The chances are that you are not the only one in your friend group who’s overwhelmed. Some of them may have already figured out how to deal with stress better than you have.
If you feel like you’re at a breaking point and you’re overwhelmed by stress, take heart. Pray about your situation, talk to your friends and family, and look closely at your schedule. God will not let you be overcome by your trials. Even when life seems stressful, He will give you the strength to keep going. No matter how you feel about your schedule right now, you can finish this school year strong.
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