HEALTHY
HABITS Ethan Hong | ’20-’21 Director of Kiwanis
Hey, Whitney! May flew by fairly quickly for me as I tended to all of my school work, and with AP season finally over, there has been some time to relax—but not so fast! There’s still some time before the end of the school year, and until then I wish all of you the best of luck on any tests and projects you have to complete. It is pretty tough working at home, which is understandable. However, I have some tips that might help you reduce stress and improve all your time at home, now and throughout the course of this journey:
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Scheduling! We no longer have the school bell to start and dismiss us from class, and school work often bleeds from day to night. It is important to maintain a schedule to balance work, sleep, and relaxation. During this pandemic (but not limited to the pandemic!), health and safety should be your top priorities. Having a routine sleep schedule is important in defining sleep to your brain so you are able to sleep peacefully at the same time every night. Both getting a decent amount of sleep and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule are important for daytime function and reducing stress. Find a balance between work and relaxation. Like a scale, if you tip the scale towards relaxation, you may become lazy and not have the motivation necessary to work. If the scale tips towards work, you may become a workaholic which puts yourself in a stressful environment. Try scheduling certain intervals of time to determine when to work and when to relax. Having this schedule already written out can motivate you to follow through.
2.
Keep your body active! You undergo a lot of physical activity when you go to school. Whether it’s the Fitnessgram Pacer Test or walking to your locker, you gained physical activity from school. With school closed, however, there is no walking to class, no coach to keep you on your feet, and no external reason to be active. Despite this, it is so important to stay physically active! This activity can alleviate stress after a long work session or make you more awake to do work. When you’ve sat in one place for long enough, consider taking a break to stand up and stretch. Walk around the house or opt to do common exercises such as sit-ups. Any physical activity is good physical activity, in my book! For me, I’ve been participating in workout videos with my family, maybe try that for your family, as well!
