All students across the world have felt the effects of stress and anxiety rise because of the changes that the pandemic have made regarding their change in routine or work ethic. 

Everyone experiences contrasting emotions and can express them differently depending on the situation. An anonymous sophomore has expressed that, “Anxiety hasn’t really affected me on a big level, but I still have it. It causes me to stress the small stuff and sometimes make me want to make everything perfect. I know nothing is perfect but I get anxious if I don’t think it’s the best thing ever. Mainly anxiety affects me for school with homework and tests. It makes me second guess myself if I´m doing things right.” This person is a student and athlete who is trying to balance school, a sport, and time for themselves. Many students are in the same boat when it comes to the feeling of making sure that things are done they way they want and the pressure to make things perfect. Students need reassurance that they are not alone in what they feel. 

With anxiety being so present in students’ lives, it is important that solutions are developed to help students decrease the stress they have because of school. It is helpful for other students to get advice from their fellow peers, since it is easier for them to relate to each other. “AP classes put a lot of extra stress due to the huge workload that comes along with the class. As the school year has been going on I have developed a schedule and some systems to make sure I’m keeping up with all of my work. I have also come up with a schedule after school that I make sure I have time for schoolwork, chores, screen time, time to relax, times with friends or family, and any extracurriculars,” this fellow sophomore explains. This student is taking multiple AP classes and can relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed but they have been able to organize their time better so that they can reduce the amount of stress and anxiety they feel throughout the week.

With the massive amount of stress coming from family life, school, and other outside struggles, students can start to decline mentally and slowly develop a lousy mindset. This can lead to insufficient motivation which causes their grades to fall. To make sure that anxiety and stress does not take over, people can build a healthy mindset in order to conquer those intrusive thoughts. ”As a student-athlete, I think all of us face a lot of anxiety, especially those in AP and honors classes. It’s tough to manage a 2-3 hour practice and multiple hours of homework. My mindset has changed a lot with how I manage my time. I try to get as much homework done right after school so I can avoid the anxiety that comes with waiting to do stuff until the last minute”, is what sophomore Rachel Cavanaugh expresses regarding her mindset. She knows the feeling of having to juggle many distractions and how a build-up of work can affect her mood but she is able to clear her mind and create discipline in order to limit her anxiety.

The advice given by fellow students about anxiety reminds people that they are not alone in what they feel. These feelings are normal but by creating a schedule that plans out the day and forming a sense of discipline and time management, students can start to feel a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.