As current high school students, with college approaching with rapid speed, it is extremely easy to become overwhelmed with stress. I think we can all agree that stress rates are at an all time high in teens. Stress to meet requirements to enter our desired college, stress to pass a certain class, stress to obtain a 4.0 or higher GPA, stress to be a good friend and help others overcome their problems when you can’t even think of how to solve your own.

Here are some helpful tips on how to reduce stress and relax when you feel overwhelmed:

1. Use Essential Oils or Light a Candle, and Meditate

Taking a few minutes to sit and mediate while smelling essential oils or candles of lavender and honey, coconut or even ocean scents can help you to relax and de-stress. Aromatherapy has been proven to help decrease anxiety and help aid people in getting a better night’s sleep. Natali Tlilayatzi, ERHS Junior, recommends apps such as “Headspace” and “Simple Habit” which help to relax people and prep them for a good night’s sleep. She says they make her “fall asleep like an angle.” If your losing sleep because the stress keeps you up at night, try these apps to help control your breathing, help regulate your heartbeat, and help you fall into a peaceful sleep. Ms. Tlilayatzi continued by saying that whenever she gets overwhelmed in life, she will “list out what makes [her] stressed and really ask [herself] if it’s really a problem.” When she isn’t making a list of her problems, she says “I like to just be still and close my eyes and listen to favorite songs to calm my mood.”

2. Cut Down on Your Caffeine Intake

Many of us are solely surviving on coffee on a daily basis because we probably stayed up all night finishing a project and the fifteen assignments conveniently due the same day. Although, studies show that drinking caffeine as often as most of us probably do, will not help to reduce stress, but will actually increase it. Shape Magazine states that caffeine quickens heartbeats and can cause an increase in blood pressure, which can aid the feelings of stress. Instead of starting your day with coffee, try some lemon water. Doctor Oz recently did a segment on his T.V. show where he discussed the benefits of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning. The infused water provides digestion benefits, a good source of Vitamin C, and calms inflammation in the liver.

3. Know Your Limits

Often times, people feel stressed because they have a full plate of responsibilities and tasks that they’ve committed to. Being so overwhelmed with constantly having something to do can easily be your main source of stress. Fix it by knowing your limits and not pushing them. A person can only take so much before they feel as though they could implode. To prevent yourself from reaching that place of high stress, don’t take on too many tasks and learn to say no to certain offers when you know you can’t fit into your schedule. Prioritizing will also help. For instance, you have a lot of work due in the next few days and every second counts, don’t procrastinate by spending time with friends or binge a new reality show. Procrastinating your work will only lead to more stress.

Lastly,

4. Organize

Stress can build on top of unpreparedness and being unorganized. So instead, try to plan out your weekly agenda on Sunday, before the chaos of the week starts. Then, make daily adjustments and additions if more tasks arise. Make sure to refer back to your calendar or agenda on a daily basis so that you don’t forget about what is due and when. By keeping an organized schedule of events, you ensure that everything will be completed on time, which can help reduce some of the stress you might have about the many assignments you received.