Ah – so we have hit that dreaded part of the summer. That part, where instead of just beach days you can almost see your classes around the corner. Many fellow high school seniors are just experiencing (if they haven’t already) that universal “oh no I’m actually applying to college” as the Common App opens. And it can all feel a little overwhelming sometimes.
As students in 2022, we are faced with constant pressure. There’s pressure for academic success, stemming from your parents… or even yourself. There’s pressure to look a certain way or act a certain way. There’s pressure from all these apps to have that idyllic lifestyle we all see constantly promoted to us. Life is not surrounded by perfect moments though – that’s not reality.
There are weeks when it feels like every single teacher has given me a test to study for but somehow, I still have to make time for my part-time job and a million other little things. There are days I feel like I could cry from all the pressure building up. There are even minutes when I seriously consider fleeing the country just to avoid all this stress.
There are ways to overcome it though and as we get back into this school year, I wanted to share what gets me through my anxiety.
The first thing I always look towards is my friends. I’m never going through anything truly alone, and I know it’s a cliche saying, but it’s a cliche for a reason. They have the same tests as me, they’re applying to colleges right now, and they know what it’s like to fight with siblings. I know I can always lean back on them, and they can expect the same from me.
The second thing I do when I’m overwhelmed is procrastinating. Now, I’m NOT recommending procrastinating but procrastinating taught me that the only way I can overcome these moments is by working through them. I make lists of what needs to get done and do some serious triage. Then I go through the list one at a time and tackle these projects.
My last suggestion is to remove yourself from the situation for a minute and try to just get some perspective. This is just one hour, one day, or one week in your life; sometimes we need to just remind ourselves that there will be a next week or that this test is not the “end-all-be-all” we make it out to be.
It seems like whoever said “it gets easier” was seriously lying to us. I don’t know if it necessarily gets easier, it feels like as I get older it just gets infinitely more complicated, but it does get better in a lot of ways. If you’re someone who feels like they struggle with anxiety also, try to keep these few tips in mind. Also, remember that there are resources for your mental health beyond just the ones mentioned above.
National Crisis Hotline: 988
You’ll get through this too.
Michael Reifman
Tyler Clementi Foundation Youth Ambassador 2022