Self-Care for High Schoolers
How often do you hear the term self-care in reference to adults? Well it applies to high school students as well, maybe even more. The teenage years can be challenging, and good self-care is important to keeping every high schooler grounded and thriving in school, with friends, and at home with family.
Here are some tips to make sure you are taking the right care of yourself.
Move Your Body
The body-mind connection is real in high school. As you launch into college and adulthood, start a lifelong commitment to physical health by finding the types of exercise you love. Join a sports team, make the most of your PE class, use free online videos for dance or yoga, take walks with your friends. Whatever you enjoy, make a habit of moving your body a bit every day. It will benefit your mood, focus, and overall wellness.
Nourish Yourself
You know how teachers are always telling you to eat well and get enough sleep the night before a test? Well that advice applies to daily life, not just the night before the ACT or SAT. Your body needs to move, and it also needs the right fuel to keep you on your game: studying, doing homework, working on projects with a group. Try to eat the rainbow in fruits and vegetables every day, get enough protein, and eat junk food in moderation (let’s be honest, a high schooler avoiding all junk food is….not happening). High school students need 8-9 hours of sleep each night. That’s right 8-9 hours! If you’re not getting that, reconsider your bedtime. It’s hard with homework, activities, and family commitments, but try as hard as you can to get at least 8. Your focus, happiness, and grades will thank you!
Follow Your Interests
The good news is that colleges are looking for students who go for depth, not breadth, in their clubs and activities. Don’t try to do it all, but follow your interests and explore them in more ways than one. Love basketball? Join the team, volunteer to teach the sport to local middle schoolers, and see if you can intern in the summer for a local team. Drama’s your thing? Write a play, act in a play, and intern at a local theater. You will be happier now and in the future if you follow your heart and follow your interests to go deep and really find out if this interest can turn into a future profession or lifelong passion. Following your interests will also keep you engaged in something outside of school and help you meet new friends.
Keep Studying Lively
You’re going to have to study and do homework a substantial amount to get great grades in high school. Don’t view studying as a horrible burden, rather treat it as an activity to prepare you for college, and study like a college student. Find a favorite coffee shop or library to change the scenery of your study space. Create study groups and study with friends. Study outside if the weather is nice. Stay on campus and take advantage of teacher office hours to get the help you need. Use an online tool like Learn to Be, Khan Academy or Study Geek to get help with your homework if you get stuck. Whatever you do, don’t study at the kitchen table with your head in your hands for all four years of high school.
Hopefully these tips and other self-care you discover on your journey will help you stay healthy and successful through the four years of high school and beyond.