Logically, you may know that there’s more to life than high school. But your teenage brain doesn’t.
Because your brain is still not fully developed, most of the challenges you will face in high school will feel like life or death situations.
Which are these problems and what can you do about them?
If you’re in junior high or high school, chances are, you are experiencing at least TWO or THREE of these CHALLENGES DAILY.
Sleep Deprivation
Teenagers need more sleep than at any other age of their life, yet they are asked to sleep less than most other people. Trying to keep up with school, extracurriculars, family life, and a social life can be exhausting on its own.
If you aren’t getting the rest you need, it could be the cause of added stress, unhealthy eating habits, increased anxiety and depression, and more.
Solutions
- Set up a routine and stick to it
- Make sure you go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, with the goal of 8-10 hours of sleep each night
Disorganization/Overwhelm
Organization in high school is crucial. Not knowing when things are due or having a schedule to rely on can make anyone feel like they’re going crazy.
Solutions
- Get yourself a planner to write in or share phone calendars with your parents.
- Make sure to enter assignments and responsibilities in your calendar as they come up.
The more organized you are, the less overwhelmed and stressed you will feel. Read these tips on stress management to find more ways to lower your feelings of being overwhelmed.
Unhealthy Relationships
High school age is about the time that most people start to have the desire to be independent. It’s natural and a good thing for you to want to separate yourself from your parents because it means you are getting ready to be an adult.
Problems stem from separating yourself in unhealthy ways, such as rebelling against family rules, hanging out with the wrong type of friends, and being secretive. Though you might want to be completely independent and should practice this, teenagers aren’t ready to make every decision on their own.
How To Form Healthy Relationships
- Keep communication lines open,
- focus on having fun, and allowing for some form of independence through something like a part-time job.
Bullying
Teens that bully other kids are usually looking to make themselves feel powerful because, in some other aspect of their lives, they feel powerless. Unfortunately, bullying is extremely common in high schools everywhere and needs to stop.
How To Overcome Bullying
If you are getting bullied, it’s time to report the bully and have your parents talk to their parents. If that doesn’t help, learn how to react.
The best thing to do is to walk away from negative situations. Since this is not always possible, learn a form of self-defense, such as karate. You need something you can use to protect yourself and feel like you have more control over the situation.
Anxiety and Depression
These two mental illnesses are becoming increasingly common among today’s teen population. According to The Child Mind Institute, adolescents are more prone to anxiety and depression than people at any other stage of life.
The plague of social media and comparison is all around us and could be adding to any anxiety or depression you may be experiencing. If you can’t seem to put your phone down, limiting the time spent on it could be the answer.
Gabb Wireless is the new phone that allows you to talk and text but doesn’t allow time-consuming apps that inspire addictive behaviors. If you’ve tried all of the above tips and are not seeing any progress, consider going to a therapist and getting medication. Sometimes modern medicine is the key to taking control of your life.
Online High School
Four years of problems and challenges to overcome is hard on anyone. Many people can’t wait to get out of high school and on to bigger and better things. Fortunately, there are other options, like graduating early or getting your high school diploma online.
Online schools like High School of America, offer accredited courses and compare equally to diplomas from traditional schools when applying to colleges and jobs. Do you want to avoid bullying and peer pressure? Would you like to get enough sleep and study at your own pace?
Online high school allows you to study when and where you want as well as have complete control over your day-to-day schedule, and therefore, your life.
Not sure if you can afford the tuition? Learn how to save on online high school costs and what you can do to get ahead of the crowd. Since you’ll be studying online and controlling your own schedule, you may even find a little extra time to get a part-time job and pay for school yourself.
Don’t know if you’d “fit in” at an online high school? Fortunately, that’s not something you have to worry about when all you need is an internet connection to get your high school diploma. More reasons to get your high school diploma online start to become obvious, the more you think about it.
Control your own schedule, learn at your own pace, and avoid the major challenges that most high school kids face every day. Take high school into your own hands and get ready for the amazing rest of your life.
