School Stress and Balance

School stress is a problem for many teens. Here is an NPR article (and audio link) to the piece: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/02/246599742/school-stress-takes-a-toll-on-health-teens-and-parents-say 

The key, is balance, but students, particularly those that are scheduled into too many high-level classes, struggle to accomplish everything when it is combined with sports, clubs, volunteer work, tutoring, non-school activities, and a social life. The result is excessive stress and lack of sleep, which affects all that they do. During our course selection process this winter, you will hear us emphasize balance when deciding what courses and levels to take.

Ten years ago I made the mistake of working on my doctorate while welcoming a new child and managing an addition to our house that required us to move several towns away for 6 months. At the time I was also an assistant principal at a large high school, requiring about 60 hours of my time per week.

When a friend asked how I was able to do all of those things, I simply replied, 'Not well.' There were tasks that were rushed, and did not accurately represent my true ability, events that I arrived at late, and appointments that I had to reschedule. I missed time with my children that will never be recovered. My decision to 'do it all' put stress on my job, my family, and myself. I learned from it, and don't want our students to think that it is what life should be.

Please resist the temptation to 'do it all'. Balance your life to enjoy time with your family and friends. Your high school education is important, but needs to fit into a well-balanced life.