How to Manage Stress in Virtual School

What is stress?

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. But don't be scared! Stress is there to warn us and help us respond quickly to dangerous situations, but it's also what helps us face our daily challenges.

Everybody goes through it, your teachers, your parents, even you go through stress, and most times, you don’t even notice it. For example, stress urges us to study for a test, the energy to run through a whole marathon, or the courage to give a speech in front of a crowd. Well managed, stress can be a great ally.

However, there can be times when stress becomes excessive and uncontrollable or does not let you function properly in front of situations. Stress can be a problem if not managed correctly. It can make you feel too scared, or block you from doing things you actually want to do. If you feel that you have excessive levels of stress, it is maybe time to speak to your parents about visiting a specialist.

Virtual stress 

These days we are all going through a lot of stress. For example, you might feel overwhelmed since you have many things to do, like completing long assignments that you have until Friday to finish. This virtual reality doesn't help at all with stress. Sometimes, we don't want to show it, but we all feel like this once in a while.

It's okay to be stressed and feel overwhelmed. We just need to know how to manage and cope with it. You should always remember to calm down, take a moment and monitor your thoughts by asking yourself questions like "How am I feeling today?" "Am I happy?" and keep yourself motivated by using positive self-talk, for example, tell yourself "If I do everything I need to do today, will I'll be satisfied and happy."

If virtual classes are causing you a headache, make sure you always check your schedule, make a list of to-do's or whatever helps you revise your assignments, and make any change you believe will make you happy and successful. 

Tips to help you cope with stress

Some tips to help you release daily stress are:

1. Find something that makes you happy (for example play soccer, read, write, or paint)

2. Play with your pets, since it’s scientifically proven that pets relieve stress and anxiety.

3. Meditate; I know it might sound boring or obvious, but mediating does help you a lot. it makes you forget about everything wrong and makes you feel zen.

4. Organize your routines and schedules, your spaces, and your work. Like my favorite influencer says “Clean space, clean mind."

5. Exercise; it takes your mind off what you're stressing about. 

Written by Maria Alejandra Ramírez

6th Grader