I personally love the way my school schedule is set up. I have my core classes at the beginning of the day, electives to look up to after lunch, then newspaper. At the end of a long day it’s always nice to chill out and do what I love, writing. (And not get bombarded with due dates and deadlines, thanks, Mrs. Confino!)

But lately that feeling of release has been absent from my school life. By seventh period I’m tired, grumpy, and I just want to go home. This has lead me to stop writing, sit next to my computer, and scroll through Twitter the entire duration of class.

Well, that’s about to change. I know for a lot of people, school takes away from their creative time, and leads to a boring life. I cannot stand boring things, so I’m here to help! In this article, I will list different methods you can use to promote that creative energy, and we can get through this together! Also I’ve run out of high speed data for the month, so I can’t get on Twitter and I have nothing better to do.

First, JOIN A CLUB. I can never stress enough how much this helps with your high school experience. It opens you up to new people, new opportunities, and offers a break from the in-class grind. Whether it be a club that is based on something you believe in, or something that gives you a direct creative outlet, join! You won’t regret it.

Second, and this one is weird but, work out. Personally, whenever I feel stressed or I can’t think, I find going for a quick run or walk helps clear everything up. When you exercise, your brain recognizes it as a moment of stress, like a fight or flight instinct. In response, endorphins–a chemical that reduces stress– is released. This could help if you have a bad case of writers/artists block, or just need a little refresher.

If socializing and physical activity aren’t your thing, try something more personal. I have just recently started meditating. Now, what you probably know about meditating is not what I do. I use an app called Headspace. Headspace* is an app which has a GIANT library of meditations and little videos, to help you learn to calm your stress, anxiety, insomnia, and promote overall happiness. The ‘meditations’ are little audio clips that help guide you when meditating. Also the guy who records them has a really soothing voice. 

I started doing this over the summer, and it has done WONDERS for not only my mental health, but my stress levels, and how I deal with stress. It makes me work more efficiently, so I have more time to do the things I love, with less stress and fatigue. If this sounds like something you might want to try, I suggest you check out their first YouTube video, it explains the benefits and how it works much better than I can.

I hope this article can help people who feel the way I feel, so we can have more of everyone’s creative creations in this world. Remember, your health and mindset matter! It’s not just about good grades! Go home and do that thing you’ve wanted to do forever, it will be worth it!!

*This article is not sponsored, these are my real opinions!