Peyton Lewis ‘23, Feature Editor
Many high schoolers nowadays lead very busy lives. Most play sports or go to work on top of being a full-time student. However, because of their busy schedules, a lot of teenagers may not find time in their day for one very important thing: self care. Self care may not sound that important, but it is actually vital to reducing stress and maintaining stable mental health.
According to Psychology Today, “Ongoing exposure to stress without proper self-care can put you at risk for serious consequences such as depression and heart disease.” This is why it is so important for teenagers to have a self-care routine in their daily lives. High levels of stress can cause both physical and mental illnesses. Despite this, 42 percent of teens reported that they felt like they were not doing enough to manage their stress, according to a survey done by the American Psychological Association.
There are multiple ways that students can practice self care. Sophomore Athena Sherlock said, “I have three main things I do for self care: I try and write in my journal everyday, make sure I talk to my friends every single day, and a few times a week I put on a movie that I really like to relax after I finish my homework.” Writing out feelings in a journal is one form of self-care that only takes a few minutes. It can be done when a person wakes up or right before they go to sleep. Similar to journal writing, talking to friends is also something that can be done everyday. Taking some time to talk to friends each day can help students feel less stressed. Finally, watching a movie allows for teenagers to have an hour or two not spent worrying about school, work, or sports.
Another form of self-care is listening to music. Sophomore Kristina Link said, “Before I go to bed or when I’m nervous about something I will put in my air pods and bop out to music.” Listening to music can be done anywhere and at any time. Researchers at Stanford University have said “listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication.” When a person listens to music, it can help them feel calm and less stressed.
<p class="has-text-align-left" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Psychology Today also recommends taking a hot shower or bath, walking your dog, taking a nap, going for a bike ride, or meditation, which are all ways people can help manage stress and care for their mental health.Psychology Today also recommends taking a hot shower or bath, walking your dog, taking a nap, going for a bike ride, or meditation, which are all ways people can help manage stress and care for their mental health.
Teenagers should make an effort to incorporate more self-care into their lives. It can help reduce stress, avoid physical illnesses associated with stress, and overall help them lead a better life. So to all the teens out there, it only takes 10-15 minutes of your day but it will be 100 percent worth it.
Lyon Life 