High School and Stress
There are some experiences in life that will always stand out for everyone and high school is one of those adventures. Some kids are very popular in high school and some seem to be able to disappear from sight. Captains of the football team, cheerleaders and class presidents may seem to always be in control, to have it all and never suffer a moment of angst or break out in pimples at the wrong moment. You may feel that it’s just the opposite for you; a cute guy walks by and you can’t even croak out the word ‘hi’, much less smile at him because you’re so shy. Your face breaks out on the very day you have to get up and deliver a paper in your history class and you can’t even remember the combination to your locker. Life is tough and everyone seems to be having an easier time of it than you.
I have some news for you; it’s not true. Everyone suffers from feeling inadequate or feels that people are looking at them all the time. Some of the most beautiful girls in high school feel like they have no friends, and hate their bodies and faces. That tall forward on the varsity basketball team that always seems to be surrounded by beautiful people secretly thinks he’s not all that good at things anyway and is afraid to ask a girl on a date.
What I’m trying to get across to you is that we’re all human and we all go through experiences that are difficult on us. Life is a learning experience and challenges are a way of testing us and making us stronger. We learn from our experiences and we also learn from our mistakes. When you’re in high school, some mistakes can be more devastating than others. High school and being a teenager in general can make things seem like they are at ‘end of the world’ status, when in fact it is simply a bump in the road and once you’re past it you’ll be fine. It’s not easy to feel that way of course when things appear to be closing in on you, but it’s true. Learn to take a deep breath and take a step back from intense emotional situations. Once you have some perspective on things, perhaps it’s not as bad as you first thought. You’ll be surprised at how you feel when you look back on things later in life and realize that it wasn’t that bad to begin with and look how you survived it!
There’s a saying that goes, ‘it’s always darkest right before it goes pitch black’, but that’s not entirely true. I prefer the following little adage; it’s always darkest before the storm’. You know how things feel after a storm? The air is cleaner, purer and sweeter. Things are wonderful and you appreciate it all the more for having weathered the tempest. Hang in there. You’ll be fine.
