The school year is coming to an end with the last day recently announced for May 25. School is ending in four weeks with finals, which means increased stress for students. The increased pressure is hard on students, and it’s hard to focus on tests when you’re constantly worried about the outcome. 

According to Harvard University, “In high school, not only are you worried about next week’s English, history or calculus exam, but you’re also worried about applying to college and taking the SAT tests, too. It can all feel overwhelming, and you may feel pressure to please your parents and teachers.”

How can you tell that you’re actually stressed out? Some signs can be more anxious than usual: headaches, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating and more. You may feel agitated and feel like you can’t control anything. Sometimes you need to take a step back and breathe. Here are some tips to deal with end of the year stress. 

Meditating can help restore your peace and help you feel calm. According to Mayo Clinic, “Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.” There are many apps that you can download with guided meditation. For example Headspace, Calm, Unplug, Smiling Mind, etc. Just take a couple of minutes and breathe. 

Another method you can use to cope with stress is to keep a journal. Writing down your feelings can be a good form of stress reliever. You can write your thoughts down on paper, on the notes app on your phone, and in the end you can throw them all away or you can save them so you can look back on them later. 

Talking to friends and family can also help. Reaching out to someone and opening up about how you are feeling makes you feel 10 times better. Chances are that the person you’re talking to gets what you are going through and can help you become less stressed. And if you ever feel like the stress is too much to handle, there are hotlines that you can contact to get help. 

Just remember that even though school is ending and the pressure is on to get good grades on finals, you need to take care of yourself. Take breaks between studying, walk outside, take a nap. Do whatever it takes to decompress.