Counseling

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“REST IS A TOOL”

• Sleep is important to help you stay positive and alert in school. 
• Some research even says that when we study then sleep, we remember things better.

KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY

• Eating a balanced diet, exercising and avoiding drugs and alcohol are all habits that keep both your mind and body healthy. 

DEVELOP YOUR RELAXATION AND COPING SKILLS:

• Stressful things like tests are a part of high school.  The good news is that there are lots of ways to help you manage the stress you may feel.
• Some students exercise, others follow a spiritual practice; some students make lists of to-do items, others journal about what is bugging them.  
• Find the skills that work for you; and, if you need more ideas, talk with your school counselor!

BUILD YOUR “GO-TO” TEAM:

• Everyone needs a “go-to” team of people to talk to when they are feeling stressed. 
• Your parents, siblings, relatives, counselor, teachers, coaches, and friends could all be part of that team. 
• The key is to keep in mind at least 3 people that you know you could go to when you need to talk about a frustration. Then, when the time comes that you need support, you will already know who you could talk to!  (Plus, they are the people that will want to help you celebrate your successes too!)

PREPARATION AND ROUTINE:

• Plan to do homework or studying every day.
• Set a time limit for how long you will study or do homework at any one time. 
• Take breaks!  For every 50 minutes of homework or study time, take a 10-minute break. Move, get out in nature, or be active during these breaks.
• Have a place that is your study and homework spot.
• Utilize study and homework sessions at school. 
• Have a snack.  Studying takes energy, so give your brain some fuel!

MINDSETS:

• Be positive.
• Set a goal for the homework time each day.  For example: what one thing do you for sure have to get done during this time?

BEHAVIORS:

• Homework: have a strategy for which homework to work on first.  Some students start with the shortest assignments first.  This helps them feel accomplished, and encouraged to do more.  Other students start with the bigger/longer projects when they feel like that have more energy and can be more productive.  Choose the strategy that works for you and stick with it!
• If your mind is wandering, or you feel like you can’t focus, go do a small task or chore.  This will get you moving and that momentum can help you re-focus on your homework when you come back to it.  Tasks could be: clean your room, make your bed, organize your binder or backpack, etc.  Keep the activity to 10-15 minutes.
• For studying: start by reviewing your class notes.  Make sure to work with the notes in a new way.  Examples: make flashcards of key vocabulary in your notes, highlight key points and then write a summary paragraph at the end of your notes, add questions for anything that is unclear to you and make sure to ask your teacher about it next class period.  Next, re-read any class materials (textbook, novels, articles, etc.) and add information to your notes.  You might find more vocabulary words, or more key points, or an answer to one of your questions that you can add to your notes.

REPETITION:

• The week before the test spend 20-30 minutes per day reviewing key points for the material that is going to be tested.
• You can use flashcards, lists, or class notes to make sure you are reviewing the unit’s key points.

READ THEN SLEEP:

• The night before your test, make sure you read over your notes, key point flashcards or lists right before you go to sleep. 
• Research shows that whatever we focus on last, right before we go to sleep, our brains will keep processing all night. 

REHEARSE:

• One way to get more comfortable taking tests is to rehearse being in the test-taking setting during your study time at home. 
• Set-up a study space that has just a chair and desk without any gadgets (like cell phones, computers, or TV) around you. 
• Use a pen or pencil that can become your “lucky test taking” pen or pencil. 
• Time yourself for 60-90 minutes doing a focused activity.  If you finish your homework before that time is up, you might practice answering math questions for that amount of time, or free writing about the key points from your flashcards. 

RELAX:

• One way to help the answers flow from your brain to the paper is to help yourself relax at the beginning of the test before you start answering questions. 
• You can start by taking 3-5 deep breaths before you read the first question. 
• Also, if your teacher allows you to chew gum, try chewing gum during the test.  Some research says that chewing gum can relieve stress and may even help blood flow to your brain so that it is easier to answer questions.

REVIEW:

• On the day of your test, take your flashcards, study guide or key point lists with you to review on the bus, at lunch or whenever you have free time during the day.

GOAL SETTING:

• Setting both short-term and long-term goals keeps you productive. 
• If your activities line up with your goals, keep doing them.  If they don’t line up with your goals, rethink whether you should be doing them. 
• Set goals for the day, week, and month.  For example, set a goal of one task to complete by the end of the day, and set a goal about how to use your homework time after school.

PRIORITIZATION: 

• When trying to decide how to start a bunch of tasks, spend time identifying what is most urgent.  Ask yourself: what is due the soonest?  What will take the most time to complete?  What am I most worried about? Which tasks overlap?  The answers to those questions will tell you what to work on first. 
• Also, spend time deciding which tasks can or should really wait for another time, so they don’t draw away your attention from the more urgent tasks.

SELF-AWARENESS:

• Know when you work best.  Some people are morning people; others are night owls. 
• On weekends, use the time of day that is best for you to do academic work.

MOTIVATION:

• If your mind is wandering, or you feel like you can’t focus, go do a small task or chore.  This will get you moving and that momentum can help you re-focus on your homework when you come back to it.  Tasks could be cleaning your room, making your bed, organizing your binder or backpack, etc. 
• Keep the activity to 10-15 minutes so that you get refocused, but don’t start procrastinating from your original homework or studying.

Adapted from Coaching Positive Performance

Limit screen time by placing phones and computers in a separate room at a designated time, minimize stimulating activities before bed, and establish a sleep routine to ensure 8-10 hours of sleep per night.  Keeping a journal to prevent recurring thoughts can alleviate stress triggers.

Teens with healthy diets are ½ as likely to develop depression compared to those with diets high in processed foods. Diet is linked to the hippocampus, a key area of the brain involved in learning, memory, and mental health and people with healthy diets have more hippocampal volume than those with unhealthy diets.  Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed may aid with studying and concentration, Vitamin B Complex found in fish, beans, milk, and dairy is known to stabilize the mood system and Vitamin C found in many fruits and vegetables can counteract effects of stress in teens.

Making physical activity routine minimizes the occurrence of depression, panic disorder, and phobias in teens.  It is recommended that teens exercise moderately to vigorously for 60-minutes on average each day with vigorous exercise recommended three days per week. Walking or running outside to increase Vitamin D and levels of serotonin in the brain are ways to ensure your body and mind stay healthy.

 Breathing techniques and focusing attention on the here and now can be used to reduce anxiety, stress and depression.

Talking to a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult about feelings, or letting a close friend know how you are feeling, can alleviate stress. 

Using individual strengths to make positive changes in schools and the community, especially through awareness and advocacy of mental health issues and wellness, helps empower others and keeps stressors in perspective.

All resources directly from safespace.org