By Meena Ropp
As all Centennial students have learned, high school life becomes stressful during the intense school year.
In many cases, this stress can lead to lack of sleep, anxiety, and even depression. But what many of us don’t realize is that there are several easy ways to practice self care and focus on the best aspects of your high school years.
To state the common methods of self care, exercise and proper nutrition are crucial to feeling happy and healthy.
Going outside to walk for a few minutes and eating a few vegetables can have a major positive affect on your brain, body, and mood which will ultimately improve your mental and physical health.
Having a proper sleep schedule also helps to improve your happiness. This can be as simple as avoiding naps, getting to bed a few minutes earlier each day, and getting up a few minutes earlier.
Being creative can help to convey your thoughts and feelings by channeling them through an art form like dancing, drawing, music, etc.
But apart from these simple tips, the serious matter is that self- image can be eroded due to occurrences in high school life, like failing a test, feeling frustrated, or having a poor body image.
To combat this, Sofia Kamal, a sophomore, suggested an idea to improve self esteem.
“You basically take a pen or something that will wash off, and write all of the things you don’t like about yourself on your hands. Then, you think about why each of those things is wrong and wash them off one by one until you’ve convinced yourself that you’re a worthy person,” Kamal said.
This exercise digs deeper into your mind and helps you to see that you are loved and worthy which dramatically improves your self- image.
But despite all of these actions you can take, one of the best methods to cure depression is to talk to and have fun with friends.
Research shows that even simple communication with other people can boost your mood by releasing chemicals that generate well being one’s brain. As they say, laughter is the best medicine.
Let’s strive to create a positive school atmosphere and enjoy our lives because, remember, high school only happens once, so make it a good time!