My director suggested I take a 6th hour class since I only have a 5th hour class and have practice after 6th hour, so I don't have to go home for 50 minutes, and said I should mention it to my parents. Doing my duty, I did, but realized later that the class I was interested in taking I knew the teacher actually provided homework. It would put my busier days (once or twice a week) at 14-15 hours. My dad already emailed the councilors about scheduling, so I keep going in between (-Stressing)
being really stressed out about having someone go through the work to look and then saying no, but knowing I don't have the mental or physical health to take on another class, especially when I actually use that free hour, like today, to eat since I couldn't earlier. And when I'm not stressing out, I just feel like it's all going to work out. Then we cycle back again. I'm already too stressed but too many times have things hurt me because I just went with it. And if I try to vent ( -Stressing )
to adults, or even just say I'm stressing about it and having a busier schedule to my parents, I just get "it could be worse" "I have extremely busy days every day" "Your siblings have busy days too" "Calm down" and "Worry about it later". The first time I complain, I get a " Sorry :( nothing to be done" the second time a "drop your personal commitments then" and after that, the above list. And by complain I mean mention my anxiety. Also I've been having trouble sleeping from stress. -Stressing
Hi Stressing,
That is legitimately stressful! I bet your semester is over now but I wanted to say I’m really impressed with how aware you were already about needing to manage your time in a way that works for you (even if no one around you accepted it).
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if it “could be worse” or if everyone else in the world has busy days too. You’re allowed to advocate for yourself and state your limits. Things can be done to change it, and you shouldn’t have to give up all your free time to make room for work or school commitments. Sometimes it takes way more asking and pestering than it should, and you only have so much energy, but if you can fight for yourself and for what you want, it’s your right to do so.
If it could be worse, it could also be better. If they tell you to drop your free time, tell them you can’t. If they ask why, ask them why they can’t drop this extra work you don’t want. If they say nothing can be done, tell them yes it can. They just have to look for a solution with you.
Losing sleep is a common result of stress. There are lots of things you can do to help sleep, including:
take melatonin supplements
stop using tech, or play a relaxing mobile game, or read a textbook several minutes before bed
exercise like stretches, yoga can help your body physically relax by loosening your muscles and working out any excess energy
meditate / clear your mind by intentionally thinking about nothing. this takes practice and you often have to re-clear your thoughts several times when you’re first getting the hang of it. visualize your though as a physical thing you can put down, and put it away.
while in bed, 2-3 deep breaths where you hold for a few seconds between the in and outs can trick your mind into releasing the sleep/chill out chemicals
You can do any combination of these things, or even all of them! I hope your 2022 brings you more peace than 2021 did.
-bun