Stress Assist

This article was written by Cora Buchan

All are stressed, but don’t worry. Here at Northview, tools to cope are within arm’s reach.

Students experience a wide range of emotions, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, daily.  As schools reopen for the year, some students become overwhelmed by homework load, peer pressure and bullying. These different feelings can accumulate and become a distraction. It also negatively impacts students’ mental health. But having resources at school to combat these common issues can be a remedy to what ails students.

Some might not recognize they need support, but seeking options here at Northview and learning more information can turn some heads towards a solution.

If you want to find someone to talk to, trust with your feelings, and have a good relationship with, consider discussing the Mentor Program with Sara Reames in the counseling office.

“They don’t share information unless it’s harmful or hurtful, and it’s just an extra support system to get kids through high school,” Reames said.

When you’re working on homework and are feeling low because you can’t seem to figure it out but have nobody to ask, the Core Academic Tutorial Support program is after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can ask for help from teachers Rebecca Fase, Tyler Weatherwax, and Mary Vanderwilt on subjects like math, science, and English.

“You’re able to sit down with a teacher and work one-on-one, it’s just much better because you can talk with them and help figure out what they can do to help you,” Fase said.

Working with other students towards a shared goal or outcome is a fun thing to do when you are under stress or trying to find something to do to have a better day.  For example, a program run by Brian Bollone, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) plans an accident simulation which upper classmen watch before Prom.

“The Prom assembly is a great example of that. The kids do almost everything, and I just sit back and watch that and wonder how they pull it together,” Bollone said.

Sports are a great way to distract yourself from stressful things and focus on something else. Exercise is proven to be great for mental health, and even better, meeting new peers to hang out with, like junior Liam Eaton on the Cross Country team. 

“I feel like practice with the team is just kind of a breather for me after school, before work, just a break,” Eaton said.

Even just playing the sport in general, whether it sounds fun to you or not, doing something new can become a good mindset.

“You don’t always look forward to it, but it’s just a mind-clear type of thing,” Eaton said.

Though these activities can’t solve everything, there are always ideas and activities you can do to distract yourself from everything and focus on things that might relieve some of the stress you carry in your everyday life. From sports to getting help on your homework, it all can make things in your lifestyle easier to focus on.