National Stress Awareness Day

As November marks the beginning of the holiday season, it evokes a variety of different reactions. Many are excited to spring into the time of Thanksgiving and festive winter holidays, cold weather, school breaks, and time with loved ones. For some people, though, these next two months prove to be a real struggle. According to UC Davis Health, while many can find joy and love during this time of year, the holidays lead to a spike in anxiety, depression, and of course, stress. 

In 1998, Carole Spiers, chairperson of the International Stress Management Association, declared that National Stress Awareness Day would be annually observed on the first Wednesday in November. The International Stress Management Association (also known as ISMA) is an organization that is founded on how to reduce stress in the workplace and how employees and employers can provide support for each other. While this may not sound like it has anything to do with us, it actually does. School can be considered a workplace for both the staff and the students, and as adolescent mental health struggles are on the rise, National Stress Awareness Day is more important than ever. 

So many people can find themselves struggling this time of year: financial burdens that the holidays bring, the anxiety of either seeing or not seeing family, sports and extracurriculars beginning or ending, and the general workload of school can pile up into a huge mountain of stress. It is important that as we approach the holiday season we not only look out for and take care of those around us, but that we also make sure we take care of ourselves in return; you can’t help anyone if you don’t help yourself first. 

Self-care is the key to surviving the rush of these next few months. Stress can take a toll on both your mind and your body, so to help lower stress levels, try and take as many moments to check in and take care of yourself. There are multiple ways you can do this: deep breathing exercises, spending time surrounded by those you love, engaging in something that makes you happy, keeping a healthy sleep schedule, giving yourself breaks to relax, and reaching out to a person you trust if the stress gets too overwhelming to handle on your own. While it seems impossible, asking for help is the best thing you can do for yourself. Your friends, your family, and the staff in this building are more than willing to provide help and support during a time of need. 

Although National Stress Awareness Day has come and passed, it doesn’t mean the feelings you deal with, especially during this time of year, have too. As so many downplay the reality of what today’s teenagers struggle with, know that whatever you are facing is seen, heard, and felt by others. There are a variety of different resources that you can reach out to if you find yourself needing support this holiday season, and above all else, your stress is valid, no matter what the root cause may be. You may not be able to control everything in your life, but your support system and taking care of your mental health is something you can. As we often hear from our school announcements, “Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Take care of Kenmore West."