Congratulations!

You've managed to keep yourself relatively stress free despite the struggles of high school. Remember that it's good to have a little bit of stress in your life to be healthy. We want you to feel a little stress for the following reasons: 

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1: It can increase immunity—When the body responds to stress, it prepares itself for the possibility of injury or infection

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2. It can make you more resilient—Learning to deal with stressful situations can make future ones easier to manage because you develop a sense of control

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3. It motivates you to succeed--Good stress, also known in the scientific community as "eustress", may be just the thing you need to get job done at work (think of deadlines)

Don't sweat the small stuff!

Ever sigh when you drop something or grumble about having to wait for someone who never showed up? Well we've got some ideas for how you can prevent these small hassles from flooding your blood stream with stress hormones:

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1. Make a Comparison--Have some perspective. See whether dropping those keys or wearing the wrong necklace is going to really affect you in the long run. Humans are remarkably resilient and in order to practice mental stamina, we have to view things objectively for what they are and that they have passed.

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2. Toss It Out--Get rid of that little stressor by physically throwing it away in order to clear your mind.

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3. Practice Mindfulness--Though this does require a bit more skill in the way of meditation, being aware of your thoughts, and noticing them in a nonjudgmental way, can condition yourself to examine them before reacting to them.

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4. Set a Time-limit--If you really must dwell on that irritant, set yourself a small lime limit. While you're doing that, examine the emotions that come with your reflection because it can help clear your mind, relax, and find a solution.

Keep moving forward

Ever work on a project and then scrap it because you didn't think it was good enough? Ever re-done a homework to make it neater? Ever had sky-high standards for excellence? Yeah we're talking to you perfectionists. Even though it's good to want to excel, there's a big, fat, solid line between wanting unachievable perfection that is, in one word, impossible, or between wanting to do great. Here are some tips to try out:

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1. Create a Mindset of Compassionate Objectivity--Sounds fancy huh? Let's break it down; Compassion, meaning you view yourself and your work with abundant empathy and understanding. And, Objectivity, meaning you see things accurately, with all their nuance and complexity. (1) Be humble yet content with what you could achieve. (2) Be realistic and grounded. (3) Value internal awards versus external; aka do it for yourself not others.

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2. Talk With Your Inner Critic--The thing about inner critics is that their goals are often valid: you do want to do excellent work, yet it's their methods of bullying and setting unreasonable goals that are problematic. Here are two things to do: (1) Don't let your critic bully you, you set your own limits. (2) Allow your inner critics thoughts to be expressed, don't shut it out, so that you feel in control of the situation.

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3. You Don't Owe Anyone Anything--If you want to go overboard on something or push yourself, do it for yourself, not so that others think that you're "amazing". Work for your own satisfaction at a job well done.

Ever heard of sleep?

Alright, with three of your fingers, count off how many of the following you've experienced: (1) trouble falling asleep before tests and quizzes, (2) will not fall asleep because there is work to be done, (3) consistently tired even if you have gotten enough sleep. Ended up with a fist or even one finger left over? Unless you're a vampire, we want you to try out some tips:

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1. Make a Schedule--Set up your priorities and decide which are more important if you know you cannot finish everything because you need to get your sleep in.

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2. Give Yourself a Bedtime--Yeah we know it sounds childish but you need to do this. If you ensure that you go to bed at a certain time in order to get enough sleep, your life will thank you. With enough sleep, you become much more effective, are in a better mood, healthier, and have energy to do what needs to get done.

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3. Catching Up On Sleep Is a Myth--You need to get the appropriate number of hours each night because one you've lost the chance, it's gone. And if you weren't aware, teenagers need at least eight hours a night!

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4. Mind Off--Think about something else when you're trying to fall asleep. Don't linger over what you couldn't finish and don't stress about a test because it can actually lower your chances of doing well. Don't know what to dream about? We can think of a few: food, being the character in your favorite book/movie, eating food. Not good enough? How about just being a Magic Rainbow Pony?

It's a zombie! It's a phantom!

Let's review the symptoms for panic attacks: shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hot/cold flashes, numbness, tingling, fear of going crazy, losing control, dying, feeling detached from surroundings, trembling, racing heat, choking feeling. Do any of these ring a bell? If so that check out these pointers:

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1. Reality Check--Calm down. It won't be the end of the world if you can't finish this project, don't know an answer, or cannot score an A. Imagine what the worst thing that could happen, chances are, having a panicking isn't really worth it and once you realize this, your body will settle down.

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2. Breathe--In and out, In and out. If you ever start feeling anxious, take a moment to control your breathing. This can lower your heart rate, calm yourself, and take control of what's happening. Don't underestimate the power of taking a breath of air.

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3. Yoga/Meditation--To relieve yourself of some stress and anxiety, take some time out of your day to do some poses or exercies to calm down. It can have a powerful effect on stress and anxiety. Don't believe us? Try it out yourself using some videos we've posted on our "Relaxation" page.

There's a black hole under you

This could be defined as depression. Ever feel worthless or wrong? Feeling constantly irritable, sad, or angry? Strange weight shifts? Inability to concentrate? Feel hopeless or lost? Yeah that's depression, an evil little creature preying on you (not literally!) and we want you to get rid of it. Here are a few tips:

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1. Stay Connected--Force yourself to be around other people and family. Depression enjoys nothing more than seeing you all alone, feeling insignificant; like nobody would miss you if you weren’t around. It magnifies your sense of shame as if no one cared about your struggles (not true!). We are social creatures an often, our lives are better when we care about another. If you can maintain meaningful relationships, you stay connected with life and can visualize the future, thus making plans to keep on living. What's life if you don't live?

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2. Ask For Help--People can always be there for you! Don't stop yourself from asking help whether it's from a peer, a counselor, therapist, or random someone who cares.

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3. Make the Right Lifestyle Choices--Forgotten to exercise because you've been so overwhelmed? Stop that and get bad into exercising. It's good for your mental wellbeing, gives you energy, can take your mind off things, and of course, is good for your health. Also, make sure to eat healthily and no, veggie chips are not what we're talking about. Eating well can give you back the energy you need and keep your brain fresh and ready to go!

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4. Meditation--This isn't for everyone but it's worth a shot. Try some breathing exercises, for example, to relax. Check out our "Relaxation" page for some videos on some activities to try.

Deep breathe in..

We're worried that you've hit rock bottom so please seek medical attention. We advise you to get help and if you are having feelings of wanting to end your life, please don't hesitate to call the suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). For some quick tips, keep these in mind:

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1. You Matter--There are a lot of people out there that care about you such as parents, friends, relatives, colleagues, and us. Don't think for the second that you don't matter.

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2. Persevere--You can get through this. Even if this is a mountain in your life, you can get through this, this challenge isn't worth losing your life over so keep going! 

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3. Help--We're here to help you and if you need more, there's tons of specialized care out there. Doesn't hesitate to ask!