As classes start to pick up pace, students can feel overwhelmed and buried in schoolwork. Pascack Valley High School Social Worker and Student and Family Liaison Joanna Katz provided tips for Pascack Valley students to be able to manage their mental health, as well as keep grades up, participate in sports, and other extracurricular activities.
By getting into the habit of knowing where primary stressors come from, students can ensure their workload doesn’t get too heavy.
“Students should absolutely assess what the load is [and] where they might be feeling the primary stress,” Katz conveyed.
Katz also advised students to utilize and take advantage of resources from teachers.
“[Students should start] seeking extra help from teachers at an early stage in the year,” said Katz.
Moreover, she disclosed that a majority of students are nervous about getting behind on school work and that many students visit the Wellness Center feeling like they’re constantly behind on school work.
Katz’s main advice was to communicate with teachers, friends, or family members.
“I would say start talking to people about it,” said Katz. “We’re all here to help navigate those things.”
A key factor in not becoming overstimulated is leaving time for yourself. Students should have a time in their day where they can stop working and rest, even if it’s just their morning routine. This allows them time to be able to clearly reflect and think.
Katz shared that getting sufficient sleep is also an important part of being energized and completing school work to one’s best ability. Additionally, she mentioned it’s also critical to eat three meals a day.
“Take a little time…to think about how [you’re] doing, do some self checks, things of that nature,” said Katz.
In addition, mental health is a key factor in earning good grades, since students need to be able to focus and prioritize. Having poor mental health can also impact a student’s cognition and capacity to perform well in school.
“Very often when we’re struggling with anxiety [or] depression, it can really cloud our thinking,” said Katz. “[Our] thought process gets confused… and it interrupts [our] attention spans.”
Instead of technology, Katz suggested that students should do other activities to help clear and reset their minds.
“I think exercise, too, is a big one in there. Just getting off of technology for periods of time… it really helps [you] to get out of your head,” said Katz. “Even taking a walk or being outside [is beneficial]. I’m a big proponent of that.”
Katz’s main advice was to utilize resources like the Wellness Center in PV to get the support you need.
Whenever you start to feel like you’re drowning in schoolwork, you should keep these simple tips in the back of your mind.
