Junior year is filled with worries about tests, extracurriculars, sports, standardized tests, colleges, and scholarships. Your days may be filled with sleepless nights and stress. With still almost a full year ahead, what can you do to reduce your stress and continue the year with the right attitude?

1. Plan Ahead

Procrastination is a word we're all familiar with. Students often put off schoolwork a few hours at a time, distracted by social media or their phones. According to reports from CNN, teens spend an average of 9 HOURS a day on media. By reducing the amount of time spent on electronics, students can finish schoolwork more quickly and use their time to sleep more.

2. Sleep!

Sleep-deprived students focus less in class and perform worse on tests. It is essential to sleep at the very least 6.5 hours a day. If you repeatedly sleep too little, your amygdala reactivity will lose its activity. In other words, your memory and attention span will suffer significantly. You will struggle to remember what you studied and lose focus during classes.

3. Enjoy school

This may sound insane and impossible to many high-schoolers, but students should enjoy learning and attending school. Learning is a privilege that not everyone has; it can increase our capabilities and nurture our future accomplishments. If you have a positive mindset about school, you will more easily be able to complete schoolwork. Your productivity will increase because you work with passion, not obligation.

4. Find a stress-relieving activity to do during the weekends

Stress needs to be relieved after it builds up. Find something you enjoy. For example, you can go on a shopping spree one every few weeks or you can find a healthy activity such as hiking or fishing. If these consume too much time, you can find short hobbies. One soothing activity is putting a refrigerated face sheet mask on your face at the end of the day. It will cool and release the tension in your muscles. Plus, it would only take up 20-40 minutes of your time!

5. Volunteer

Find volunteering events you enjoy. While having fun, you can both earn volunteer hours and benefit your community. By boosting your self-confidence and helping with your college application, volunteering will significantly decrease your stress.

Surviving junior year may be tough, but it definitely is not unachievable. By reducing stress, you will find yourself performing better in school and living a happier life. Good luck!