Nowadays, it is easy to get stressed. With schoolwork, jobs, family, friends, enemies, and everything  in-between, it’s easy to loose it. Instead of worrying about the issue at hand, step away for a minute to regroup your thoughts. Take a deep breath ,and count to ten as find your happy place and discover what works for you.  

1. Make a List – Keep it simple. A list helps you organize your thoughts, and keep track of important details.  It will help keep you on board with all your activities, you will feel great when you cross each item off, and slowly watch your list get smaller and smaller. At the end of the day, this can help you feel satisfied and accomplished.

2. Spend Time with Others – Surround yourself with people who love and care about you. Avoid toxic personalities that act as leaches to your happiness and energy. Instead, get motivated to try new things with your companions who enjoy sharing and interacting with you, people that appreciate you as an individual. Just avoid stretching yourself out too thin. 

3. Take Time For Yourself –  By trying to do it all, you will never get anything done. Once in a while, take some time for yourself. Treat yourself to a movie you like, or a day at the spa- anything that’s calming or you can do alone. For a few hours disconnect and unwind, when you are all alone, you don’t have to worry about pleasing other people. 

“I like to read for fun. Each month, I find a book I like, and I enjoy finding a few minutes to disconnect and read. It is some free time for myself,”senior Natalie Crespo said.

4. Don’t Procrastinate – Life might suck sometimes, but it is what you make of it. There are some things we can’t avoid doing like going to the bank, seeing the in-laws, or paying taxes. Try to get the undesired things out of way fast, so you have more time to do things you enjoy. Avoid putting off your most dreaded activities; they will only be storm clouds over your head. Once you finish, you will feel liberated, and will have time to do things you actually like.

5. Do Things You Love – This tip is simple. Do things you love instead of the things you hate. But first, you must do some serious soul searching to find what makes you happy. Explore and discover what pleases you. Dedicate your time and energy to those causes, and you are sure to find sanity.

“When I am stressed, shopping makes me happy. When I am extra stresesed, I get my nails done. The manicure helps me relax,”junior Valerie Montesino said.

6. Drink Some Tea -Find yourself a cup of tea. Avoid drinking coffee or soft drinks and come over to the tea side. Typically. it is packed full of health benefits. Different kinds of teas have varying medicinal properties. Try green tea. It has less caffeine than coffee, but it still has enough to perk you up.

7. Get Sleep – Everyone needs their beauty sleep. After completing all of one’s homework, and trying to cram in a video game, reading, or TV session, some nights it’s to easy to sacrifice sleep. Try getting at least 8 hours of continual slumber. This way, you’ll be rested and ready to face the day. No one likes feeling cranky and tired the whole day, and those bags under your eyes definitely aren’t a good look. Get the sleep your body needs to start the day right, it’ll help not only with your temper but with your stress level as well.

“On a general day, I get about six hours of sleep a night. These days since I am in the IB program, I have got a total of six and a half hours these last two days. I am feeling so stressed out,” senior Elisabeth Wurmser said.

These simple tips will help you stay sane. Modern life can be stressful, but taking  precaution will help keep you stress free and happy. Do what you think is right for you. We can’t always avoid what life gives us, but we sure can make the best with what we’ve got.