Dear St. Pete High,

   Feeling stressed out by this crazy last bit of school before the year ends? The last month or so of school can, without a doubt, get very stressful. So how are students supposed to deal with all of the different things they have going on right at the end? It may seem like everything is happening at the same time, like exams, or finalized grades, or some end of the year thing for a club, but remember, that’s not true. During exam week, no other obligations should be happening, so it is best not to think about the other events coming up and just focus on completing the tests. But leading up to the exams and other things, it’s still important to get enough sleep because that will reduce stress even if it seems unimportant. Also, remembering that everyone else is going through this crazy end of the year time too helps a lot. Even the teachers are. Talking directly to them about any worries about grades is the best way to relieve the stress of it instead of agonizing over it for a while.

   When all that ends, what should you do in order to not have a restless summer? Well, I know we all tend to fall out of this on the weekends and vacations, but maintaining a normal human schedule actually helps, believe it or not. Things like not skipping breakfast, which people do a lot, is important. And having the rest of the meals at normal times everyday is important for the body, because not having that routine will make for a really difficult summer. So no eating at midnight, okay? Sleeping in is of course fine, none of us should be waking up at the time we have been for school. But sleeping until noon shouldn’t be a regular thing either, so strive to actually be waking up in the morning hours. Waking up and NOT going immediately on the phone will save you from a hugely depressing summer as well.

   How should we stop our brains from totally shutting down over the summer? It doesn’t actually require thinking about school at all. I would just read. That keeps your brain gears turning and is also really good for you. So find something you enjoy to read, and settle in, for that as an easy way to not totally fall into a lazy, no-thinking summer. You could even play all of the apps on your phone that require some thinking and brainpower, things like crossword puzzles. They are especially fun when there is competition and you can beat your family members or someone at the games.

   Make sure you don’t stay idle. Get outside sometimes over the summer because it’s bad for your eyes to not get any sunlight, and bad in general to stay inside all the time. Overall, it doesn’t take that much to stay healthy over the summer, so keep all this in mind when our summer starts. As school ends, don’t slack off, and you won’t have much to stress over. Just remember: you got through the crazy year, so you’ll make it. Good job everyone.

                                                       Sincerely,

                                                             St. Pete High’s Advice Consultant