Tips for managing your health and wellbeing in Year 11 and 12

Healthy Students are Better Learners

The final 2 years of your senior schooling can be the busiest time of your life so far. You may be juggling your studies with part time work or sporting commitments – sometimes both. In order to function effectively your physical health and emotional wellbeing are very important.

“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.”

E. Joseph Cossman

Physical Health

Some ways to stay physically healthy and fuel your learning are:

• Don’t skip breakfast – a balanced breakfast improves cognitive performance • Incorporate physical activity into your daily schedule – taking active breaks improves concentration and memory • Get enough sleep (8-10 hours per night) limiting screen use before bed • If you are unwell give your body time to rest and heal • Stress can impair your physical health, so if you are feeling that stress is becoming a problem for you tell someone who can help.

Ask for help

Be proactive, it is better to talk to people before stress builds up. Everyone has unique “stress flags” that warn them when things are getting too much (e.g. eating junk food, snapping at friends, spacing out). Learn what yours are and get help when you notice them. This might be as easy as chatting to your teacher after class or having a conversation with your parents. You could also talk to Heads of House, your friends or the College Counsellor.

Get organised

Make a study plan before assignments start piling up. If possible put a calendar of a whole semester somewhere you will often see it. This will give you quick visual indication of what needs doing first and how long you have to do it. It also helps you break down the daunting workload into manageable chunks.

Manage your obligations

The academic load of Years 11 and 12 is large. Take a realistic look at your other obligations and weigh up the benefits they offer you versus the stress and pressure they add. Make a list of your additional obligations in order of their importance. If you aren’t coping, think seriously about dropping something. It is better to do a few things well than many things badly.

Understand your motivations

Nobody studies to get a number. Figure out your reasons for studying. What course do you want to get into? What job do you want? What will it feel like to live your goal? This will help you choose the right subjects and motivate you when studying gets hard. Remind yourself of your end-goal and try to connect it to what you are doing now. If you can see a difficult task as a step toward something you want, it will be easier to stick with it.

Maintain perspective

There is a lot of pressure around the final two years of school but it is worth reminding yourself there are multiple pathways to further education and careers. If you are unsure what they are, talk to your parents or to the Head of Careers and VET.

Balance stress and relaxation

Pushing yourself harder is not a guarantee of better results. Everyone has a zone of peak performance and staying in it requires two skills: motivating yourself and knowing how to relax when you have pushed too far. Despite what other people may think, setting aside down-time is not lazy. Sleep is essential for learning (8 – 10 hours a night), and managing your stress levels is essential for peak performance.

PERFORMANCE

BOREDOM

NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE

HIGH MOTIVATION PEAK PERFORMANCE

RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE

FATIGUE

STRESS CHART EXHAUSTION ILL HEALTH

TOO MUCH PRESSURE

BREAKDOWN