Mental health and wellness strategies for high school students
At some point, life is bound to get stressful. Whether it’s a math test that you didn’t have time to study for, family problems or friendship drama, it won’t always be straight forward.
However, when these hurdles do come your way, know that there are plenty of positive ways to cope and help prevent stress from getting out of hand.
One of the ways to keep things under control is to take the time to set healthy routines for yourself.
Exercise!
Exercise is an excellent mood booster and stress reliever. This can look different for everyone – taking 30 minutes out of your day to go on a peaceful walk, or an intense run while listening to some of your favourite tunes. Or, if you’re looking for something social, joining a sports team whether that’s through school or a community team can really do wonders for your mental health.
Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can be detrimental not only to your mental health but your physical health as well. Try your best to set a scheduled time that you go to bed on weekdays when you know you have to be up early for school. This will not only help improve your learning, as it’s easier to retain information when you’ve had the proper amount of sleep, but you’ll feel a lot better too.
Healthy eating
Those double chocolate cookies or bag of salty potato chips may be tempting to reach for, but try going for a more nutritious option instead, like a plate of fruit or crackers and cheese. That doesn’t mean you have to go cold turkey on the junk food – but eating it in moderation is key. Remember, food is fuel, and you’ll have more energy and feel a lot better.
Limit screen time
This is a big one – scrolling through Instagram or Facebook not only takes up a big chunk of your time, but it can also have a huge negative impact on your mental health. Try to limit the amount of time you spend on these apps to a minimum, and instead look for more productive ways to spend time that are more rewarding, such as exercising or spending time with friends and family.
Now, if you’re already feeling stressed out, don’t hesitate to talk about it! Sharing your feelings with friends, family members or a counselor can help you work through it and show you that you’re not alone. Chances are your friends are also feeling stress from everyday life, and your family members may have gone through a similar situation themselves.
Alternatively if you don’t feel comfortable discussing your feelings, writing stuff down in a journal can be very therapeutic and help put things into perspective.
Taking deep breaths also helps. Remind yourself that the stress will pass and feelings are temporary.
What makes us different
At DVA we offer a more one on one and personalized approach to learning and look at stressors that may impact that so students can achieve the best education possible.
We help make sure students are getting the specific support that they need to succeed.
Interested in learning more about the DVA way?
Contact us today, we’d be happy to chat with you and answer any questions you might have. You can reach us at 416-223-7561.