Common ways to handle stress:

🔋 1. Allow yourself to have 1 “minimum viable effort” day per week: On this day ask yourself “What is the smallest thing I can do to keep moving forward?”

Don’t think too hard about all the things you need to do tomorrow or next week, just work on the days tasks and reward yourself for completing them by taking a break to resting/relaxing that day.

This prevents the all-or-nothing cycle that causes burnout.

✍️ 4. Journaling

Writing can help when you are feeling emotionally overloaded or overthinking. Consider writing in a journal the following ways:

Brain dump → Write everything on your mind with no structure
Problem-solution → Write the problem, then possible solutions

Emotion labeling → “I feel anxious because…”

🧩 2. Separate work zones from rest zones in your room:

Your brain starts associating spaces with mental states, so divide your room into a work zone (desk or map space where you do homework) and rest zone (bed or comfy chair to read, nap, and relax).

🫁 5. Breathing & Nervous System Regulation

Changing how you breathe can seriously help when you feel anxiety, panic, or feeling overwhelmed physically.

Deep breathing (4-4-4 or box breathing) → Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4
Long exhale breathing → Inhale 4, exhale 6–8 (calms your body faster)

Hands-on breathing → One hand on chest, one on stomach

✅ 3. Protect your sleep by giving your school work a jump start

Sleep directly affects: Memory, Mood, Stress tolerance

Set time at the beginning of the week (Sunday) to complete any upcoming assignments you know about. Try to complete as much as you can so you have less of a load during the week and can get to sleep earlier each night.

Organize your time on your calendar on your phone and make a to-do list each week to plan your activities.

Prepare your outfit, lunch, & school bag for the next day the night before so when you wake up you are ready to go!

🏃‍♀️ 6. Physical Movement

Movement helps your body process stress, not just think through it.

Stretching or yoga
Quick workouts (even 5–10 minutes)
Shaking out your body to release tension by moving your hands and arms around
Take a long “everything” shower to relax the brain

Try something new:

💪 1. Physical & body-based (weird but effective)

🎭 2. Behavior tricks

🌸 3. Sensory & environment hacks

Lay on the floor for 5 minutes → No phone, just exist. It’s oddly calming.
Wall sit or plank for 60 seconds → Physical strain can override mental stress.

Hold an ice cube → Strong sensation interrupts anxiety quickly.

⚡ 4. Quick “In-the-Moment” Fixes

When stress hits suddenly:
Splash cold water on your face
Step outside
Do one tiny task
Clap loudly or snap to interrupt a thought loop
Say your next action out loud
Note of Caution: Be careful about doing these in public places because people may be concerned..

Change your outfit completely → Even at home—signals a “reset” to your brain.
Use a different location for one task → Sit on the floor, a different chair, outside, etc.
Set a “ridiculously easy” goal → Like opening a doc or writing one word
(momentum usually follows)
Pretend everyone at the cafe or library is watching you work → do the work (stop faking it)

Chew gum or eat something crunchy → Can calm your nervous system
Listen to one song on repeat → Predictability can be soothing
Turn off lights and use only one lamp → Creates a calmer, more controlled space