It seems almost dreadful to have your eighteenth birthday nowadays. With the societal pressure of choosing your college, major, career path, and more, the concept of enjoying the beginning stages of adulthood has completely vanished into this bubble of stress and anxiety. Many seniors this time of year are faced with the million-dollar question, do you have your life figured out at 18? So much pressure is forced upon us to have everything figured out, to have a plan ready as soon as we leave the house, and that can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety on our young bodies.
Society has increased the pressure that’s put on young adults to have the answer to what their life goals are or what is going to be their career for decades of their lives. The question hangs over our heads because there will never really be a simple response. Medium agrees, saying, “One reason choosing a future at eighteen feels so overwhelming is that society confuses economic survival with personal identity.” The article continues by explaining, “Majors and professions are presented not just as ways to earn a living, but as definitions of worth.”
“52% of high school students feel pressure to make decisions about their future too soon,” writes Best Colleges. That’s more than half of the young adults in their senior year across every school. The anxiety levels rise more and more when adults start talking about careers and how their lives are going to end up. Such an optimistic question has soon turned into an apprehensive response. Seniors shouldn’t be feeling uneasiness during their last year of secondary school, but instead appreciate high school in their last months, and make memories.
With this increase in stress and anxiety, it can be hard to balance life tasks. Feeling all these emotions is completely normal for this part of your life; you just need to know when to recognize these feelings. Knowing the symptoms and getting the right help can not only help yourself, but make an impact on others. Summer Harvard suggests recognizing the symptoms of school-related stress, such as “feeling more agitated, anxious, short-tempered, or depressed. Having more headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains.” These are just some of the signs you can look out for if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Don’t confuse a little bit of stress with the image that you have more serious anxiety; stress is a normal part of daily life. It can even act as a motivator to get things done, but when that stress takes over your daily life and activities, that’s when you may need to start indulging in techniques to help smooth these feelings. Some easy steps Harvard experts have been taking relaxation and deep breathing exercises. This can come in many different shapes and forms, such as yoga, a hike, or even taking a few minutes to just relax.
Another helpful exercise is making sure your body is getting the appropriate amount of physical activity and fueling your body with healthy energy. These seem simple, but actually make a huge difference in how your body physically and mentally activates. This one is a bit harder to do, especially as a senior myself, but cutting out the amount of caffeine your body intakes makes an excessive change. Coffee and energy drinks are lifesavers during moments of tiredness, but in the long run, how many drinks you have every day for weeks causes excessive heart and blood pressure to rise, as well as actually increasing jitters and anxiety.
Reaching out to friends or family members who help you cope in a positive way also helps with opening up about all emotions. All of these solutions are just some of the many examples you can portray in your life to help deal with anxiety and stress from college. I discussed with a senior, Stella Wahl, what her schedule is like and how she maintains a stress-free lifestyle.
I asked Stella about her weekly schedule with weighing singing, cheer, academics, and a social life while balancing all this within her senior year. She replied, “I balance schoolwork with everything else by being intentional with my time. I plan ahead and get creative on how I can complete all of my work.”
She continued, “I break my time into manageable chunks while still finding time for everything else.” Being naturally organized doesn’t come to everyone naturally; it comes from effort and strategy. Applying time-balanced techniques and focusing ahead can really amp up your overall performance.
With this approach comes pressure to appear socially together. I asked Stella if she ever feels this type of tension. “I do feel pressure to appear put together, since I have a lot of important decisions coming up,” Stella shared.
She adds that “adults often have questions about college and life after high school and sometimes I do not have the answer.” Stella highlights the emotional pressure many seniors experience. Not having an answer to these questions can feel draining and frustrating. The image of people who seem “put together” only adds to the illusion of this so-called success when in reality those accomplishments can come in many different forms. The college or major you decide on doesn’t necessarily decide your fate of success.
Staying motivated when school feels overwhelming can be a strenuous process; that said, having a plan to stay driven to your goals is a necessity to thrive in adulthood. “I stay motivated through the things that I love. Taking breaks and participating in activities that I have fun with recharges me and allows me to keep working hard,” Stella replied.
Motivation doesn’t always come from pushing harder, but sometimes realizing you need to take a step back and reconnect with yourself. Catching up with things you’re passionate about and staying in touch with people you care about can be very simple yet rewarding solutions for unneeded stress. Reflecting on these strategies can help build a healthy relationship between your academic adult life and managing a fun teenagerhood.
With so many life decisions ahead, preparing for college and life can be intense, and it’s normal to feel stressed out. Understanding these challenges and learning ways to cope with these feelings is just one more step toward becoming successful. Adopt strategies and find what best fits you, and take a deep breath. Life is still evolving and moving forward, and adulthood can be scary, but always remember there are ways to understand how you feel, and this is all a part of life.
