School stress can be difficult to manage. With the first 3/4 of the year behind us, many students may be getting more concerned about their GPA. However, unless you are one of those people who is motivated by stress, it will only make your grades worse. Therefore, I’m writing this guide to calm down in this stressful time of need for all of us BHS students.

First off, my own advice is to not let the workload get to your head. Due to our constantly changing schedule, we don’t have all of our classes each day. This presents Bothell students with an opportunity to space out their homework time. Students can prioritize which assignments need to be done that night, and which ones are not due the next day, then use extra time to get a head start on other assignments, or other obligations. The extra time can even be used for relaxation, as that is also a big part of de-stressing.

Ms. Heidi Yonago, the school psychologist at Bothell High, says “I think it’s important that students find ‘me time’ for them each day.” She recommends reading, jogging; really anything you find interesting. She furthermore thinks that sleep is also a big contributor to student stress. She recommends putting screens away an hour before bed and getting at least eight hours of sleep. “Students have to manage a lot more stress these days.” Yonago cautions, and thinks we sometimes forget to put ourselves first.

So, Bothell, don’t forget that me time is important, and that you can overcome student stress; it does not define you.  Stay strong, Bothell.