Is your school life causing you distress? How can we achieve a school-life balance?
Being a student can be really stressful because of the academic pressures. In addition, the age we are in school in is a time of great personal development which can itself be a very stressful process. In the middle of all of this it is easy to get overwhelmed and suffer from burnout. Burnout consists of feeling irritable, lethargic and unable to focus on our studies. This will negatively affect our academic performance and our health.
Therefore, it is important to establish a school-life balance in order for us to be able to successfully achieve our academic aspirations and fulfill our personal needs.
Some steps that we can take to develop a good school-life balance include:
- Prioritizing our health; we must realize that our health should be our first priority, because if we aren’t healthy then we won’t be able to meet our goals. Therefore taking time out to focus on our wellbeing is essential to be able to perform at school. To learn more about the different aspects of wellbeing visit the holistic wellness section.
- Acknowledging our limits; it is important to know much time we can give to work or to others without burning out. Creating time for ourselves on a daily basis can prevent burnout in the longer run.
- Setting realistic goals; when we establish goals for ourselves we should develop them by keeping our own limitations in mind, and not by comparing ourselves to other people. An example of a realistic goal is aiming for a B in the next test if we are currently receiving a C, and a B+ in the test after that. Improvement takes time, and it is important to be patient.
- Drawing strength from our relationships; one of the most important parts of our health is social health. Relying on our social support system by improving our relationships can help us deal with the stress we are experiencing. This includes family, friends and loved ones.
- Practicing healthy coping skills; we can adopt coping skills like exercise, mindfulness, taking up a hobby, or talking to friends as a regular part of our routine to reduce our stress. To learn more checkout the various coping skills mentioned in the manage distress section.