Class of 2012
The world won’t end if you take care of yourself every once in a while
My biggest problem in high school was that I didn’t like myself. I felt stuck and stale; having known many of my peers for 4-9 years, I didn’t feel that I could change into acting like someone who was more “me”. On top of this discomfort, I had pressure on me to get good grades, get into multiple respectable colleges, to participate in a sport, to keep up a social life and to stay sane. I had a ton of homework and a ton of responsibility. My family added to my stress, though I can look back now and know it was unintentional. I didn’t take care of myself and as a result I spent almost my entire high school career alternating between crushing stress and glazed numbness. I was on autopilot most of the school day and retreated into media (social and entertainment) at night. It wasn’t a fun or a good coping mechanism, but it got me through high school, so I am thankful for that at least.
If I really needed to make myself feel better I would do something that made me happy, no matter if it was fleeting or silly. I particularly love nice smelling lotions and bath bombs (bubbles) from Lush, but eating some chocolate or treating myself to a Starbucks drink worked too. Taking naps also helped when I was too tired to do anything else. Of course, friends were a good resource as well, whether online or in person. Comfort food, blanket forts, coloring books, clay or putty can all work wonders as well. In high school, what I wish I had more of, was time to myself and time to relax with friends. I spent so much time stressed over homework that I never seemed to take a break and obviously that sucks.
I thought about suicide sometimes, but I never attempted it. The things that helped me were the above coping mechanisms, thinking about my friends and family, and then thinking about myself. Trying to picture me from ten years ago and me from ten years in the future and what they would say about potential suicide helped me. Look at it from as many viewpoints as you can because suicide is the last decision. Literally. If you go through with it, it will be the last choice you get to make, more permanent than a piercing or a tattoo. Something that big should be considered a lot. (And my two cents is: don’t do it. There’s always something else you can do instead. Why not shave off all your hair?)
Look, all I can really tell you is that I understand how much high school completely and totally sucks. You’ve got to push through it. Set yourself on autopilot if you have to- just survive it. That homework that is due tomorrow won't affect your entire grade, and your grade in that one class won’t destroy your GPA, and your GPA will only be one part of determining what college you get into, and in college no one cares where you came from, and after college no one will even remember that one time you didn’t quite finish your math homework. So take a break. Call a friend. Chill a bit and watch some Netflix. The world won’t end if you take care of yourself every once in a while.
The bottom line is this: the expectation to come to school, remain focused and driven for the entire 7:20-2:05 timeframe, then to engage in sports, then to go home to sometimes good sometimes bad home lives, to complete a massive amount of homework, to get less that the suggested amount of sleep, and then to do it all over and over again as you are pressured about what decisions and active steps you have made towards your future WHILE remaining happy and mentally stable is unrealistic. I survived high school, and now I’m actually happy with myself and my life. You can too, All you have to do is make it through the time in high school you have left.
You are not alone. Together we can be resilient. However, this website is not to be used in place of therapy or other forms of help. Non-judgmental help is available 24-7: Call Crisis Link at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). Text with a Crisis Text Line specialist, by texting “TALK” to 741-741. (You can also go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.)
You can also chat online with a specialist at CrisisChat.org (between 2pm and 2am) or ImAlive.org. Many other links to various types of assistance are also available on our RESOURCES page. Help is out there. Reach out, for yourself, or for someone else.
The world won’t end if you take care of yourself every once in a while
My biggest problem in high school was that I didn’t like myself. I felt stuck and stale; having known many of my peers for 4-9 years, I didn’t feel that I could change into acting like someone who was more “me”. On top of this discomfort, I had pressure on me to get good grades, get into multiple respectable colleges, to participate in a sport, to keep up a social life and to stay sane. I had a ton of homework and a ton of responsibility. My family added to my stress, though I can look back now and know it was unintentional. I didn’t take care of myself and as a result I spent almost my entire high school career alternating between crushing stress and glazed numbness. I was on autopilot most of the school day and retreated into media (social and entertainment) at night. It wasn’t a fun or a good coping mechanism, but it got me through high school, so I am thankful for that at least.
If I really needed to make myself feel better I would do something that made me happy, no matter if it was fleeting or silly. I particularly love nice smelling lotions and bath bombs (bubbles) from Lush, but eating some chocolate or treating myself to a Starbucks drink worked too. Taking naps also helped when I was too tired to do anything else. Of course, friends were a good resource as well, whether online or in person. Comfort food, blanket forts, coloring books, clay or putty can all work wonders as well. In high school, what I wish I had more of, was time to myself and time to relax with friends. I spent so much time stressed over homework that I never seemed to take a break and obviously that sucks.
I thought about suicide sometimes, but I never attempted it. The things that helped me were the above coping mechanisms, thinking about my friends and family, and then thinking about myself. Trying to picture me from ten years ago and me from ten years in the future and what they would say about potential suicide helped me. Look at it from as many viewpoints as you can because suicide is the last decision. Literally. If you go through with it, it will be the last choice you get to make, more permanent than a piercing or a tattoo. Something that big should be considered a lot. (And my two cents is: don’t do it. There’s always something else you can do instead. Why not shave off all your hair?)
Look, all I can really tell you is that I understand how much high school completely and totally sucks. You’ve got to push through it. Set yourself on autopilot if you have to- just survive it. That homework that is due tomorrow won't affect your entire grade, and your grade in that one class won’t destroy your GPA, and your GPA will only be one part of determining what college you get into, and in college no one cares where you came from, and after college no one will even remember that one time you didn’t quite finish your math homework. So take a break. Call a friend. Chill a bit and watch some Netflix. The world won’t end if you take care of yourself every once in a while.
The bottom line is this: the expectation to come to school, remain focused and driven for the entire 7:20-2:05 timeframe, then to engage in sports, then to go home to sometimes good sometimes bad home lives, to complete a massive amount of homework, to get less that the suggested amount of sleep, and then to do it all over and over again as you are pressured about what decisions and active steps you have made towards your future WHILE remaining happy and mentally stable is unrealistic. I survived high school, and now I’m actually happy with myself and my life. You can too, All you have to do is make it through the time in high school you have left.
You are not alone. Together we can be resilient. However, this website is not to be used in place of therapy or other forms of help. Non-judgmental help is available 24-7: Call Crisis Link at 1-800-273-TALK(8255). Text with a Crisis Text Line specialist, by texting “TALK” to 741-741. (You can also go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.)
You can also chat online with a specialist at CrisisChat.org (between 2pm and 2am) or ImAlive.org. Many other links to various types of assistance are also available on our RESOURCES page. Help is out there. Reach out, for yourself, or for someone else.
