Lots of things can stress us out - school, friends, family, work, activities, pressure. In order to fight stress you have to BE AWARE (recognize it) and TAKE CARE (do something about it). It won't just go away on its own.

How do you know if you're stressed?

• You eat standing up or very quickly
• You are frequently running late
• You forget what day it is
• You have trouble remembering things or finishing a thought
• Your friends say they haven't seen you in a while
• You are fighting/arguing more than usual
• You do three things at once and don't do them well or don't finish them
• You lose your patience easily
• You're always tired
• You can't sleep
• You get sick a lot
• You bite your nails
• You feel like you're drowning
• Your heart pounds
• Your mood or morale is low
• You eat too much
• You have a lot of headaches
• You feel nervous or jumpy
• Nothing seems fun anymore
• You "snap" at your friends
• You hate getting up in the morning
• You talk too fast
• You cry easily
• You live on coffee, soda, energy drinks
• You "relax" by using alcohol, cigarettes, drugs/pills

If any of these things sound familiar, take steps to get your stress under control:

1. Plan Ahead: Allow more time than you might need, cut out activities, do assignments on time (don't let them pile up). Don't take on too much.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff: shrug off minor problems and don't waste your time or energy on them.
3. Take care of yourself: Getting enough rest, eating well and exercising help you feel better and manage stress better too.
4. Learn to relax: Breathe slowly in and out. Stretch. Take a warm shower/bath. Meditate. Do things that help you let go of stress. You can sign up for the STRESS MANAGEMENT group at school that Mrs. Coover will be offering in March and April or research meditation and stress relief on the internet.
5. Ask for help: Share problems with friends, family, your counselor. Don't try to do everything on your own.

WANT TO DO BETTER IN SCHOOL? Have you tried...

1. Doing your homework with little or no noise (TV, AIM, RADIO, FAMILY, PHONE)? You need to be able to completely focus on your work in order to really get it.

2. Asking for help? You're not expected to know everything, that's why you're in school. If you don't understand something ask the teacher before or after class if you can set up a time to come in. Try asking someone at home or a trusted friend that you think understands the material.

3. Doing your homework as soon as you get home or after school in homework club? This will get you into the habit of putting it first, before the other "fun" stuff. If you put it off, you may not get it all done or you might be too tired.

4. Studying a little bit at a time for upcoming tests. Write a reminder to study in your planner each night of the week, as though it were a homework assignment that would be checked off. Then put a little time aside for a couple of nights before the test to look over notes, handouts, worksheets, the book etc.

5. Making up all work that is missed right away. If you wait, you might forget...until report cards come out and THEN you'll remember that ZERO! :(  It's often helpful to make yourself a checklist of work to make up from each class including due dates and details of the assignment. Get this information STRAIGHT from your teachers as soon as possible.

6. Making a choice to stay focused during class. Even if you think it is boring, practice focusing on what the teacher is saying. Taking your own notes often helps to keep your brain moving in line with the topic. If you find your friends distracting, explain to them what you are trying to do and hopefully they will respect that. If not, ignore them and then consider how much they really care about you. ???

7. Studying with friends. Make practice tests for each other, compare notes, make and quiz each other with flash cards. There are lots of different ways to help each other.