In the midst of chaos, it is extremely crucial to find solid ground. Knowing how to organize life, manage stress, and balance day to day activities are all very important aspects of living in stability. But in the circus that life is, things can be very difficult to manage, especially for teachers and students who often struggle to strike an equal balance between their school lives and their personal lives.

By putting all of the pressure of school and work on top of each other, it will weigh them down, causing doubt and stress. This leads to many frustrations and feelings of unfairness. By having an equally balanced scale of activities in school and home life, life will become more manageable. With a balanced life, everyday tasks become peaceful, and stress free.

“Balance of work and personal life is something I still struggle with,” said Natalie Aspaas, ELA teacher. “I try to think to myself, ‘What would give me more stress?’ and take care of the thing that is weighing on me most. I also just try to remind myself that I am only one person and that I’m not perfect.”

Teachers and students all have a life outside of school or their occupation. They have things they need to get done and things they want to get done. This is where balancing life comes in. Some like to play sports to video games to instruments. Many teachers have families in which they have to help balance their lives too.

“In my free time I volunteer at church, shuttle my kids around to soccer practices and games (and truly love watching them play), hit the gym, garden, and try to make delicious meals for my family,” said Aspaas.

With the complications that happen in daily lives comes stress and anxiety, which can lead to more mental problems and diseases. Without the balance your life needs to control how you react to the frustrations of life, you will see that your worries add up. Many know that having to carry the weight of life on their shoulders causes stress; having loads of stress increases blood pressure, heart rate, and can even lead to a heart attack. Here’s the question: “How can I manage my time efficiently?”

“My basic advice about maintaining a schedule follows along this idea. Every time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else. I like to think of that before I agree to anything. If I do something or add something to my schedule, what am I saying no to?” said Timothy Rosinbum, social studies teacher.

Keeping yourself in check with your needs and wants is important. Students say “I want to take a nap” when what they should be doing is studying for a test, or doing homework. Putting your most important tasks on the top of your list will help you have peace in your life. Having a planner or a to do list can help manage what is going on in your life perfectly. Many students get overwhelmed from the homework they are given because they have so much going on in their lives.

“I balance my time by giving myself enough time for every activity” stated freshman Ella Cable.

Another way to manage your time appropriately is to not lose sight of what matters most in your life. If you are placing video games, social media, or any other form of media first apart from your family, goals, or school work, this might interfere with your time and make it difficult to balance all of your responsibilities.

Although playing on a device is typical and considered a fun break from everything, hours pass like minutes. Children and adults both get mesmerized by their phone or game station. By always keeping what’s most important to you first, you know what your priorities .

If you’re an athlete and your sport means the world to you, you understand that conditioning, training, and practice is the key to being successful. The same goes for each and every one of your goals. Goals are on the upper part of your list along with your family and friends. If you hope to one day get a scholarship to your dream college, you must be willing to set aside the temptations getting in the way of your achievements.

The feeling of anxiety and crowding comes with school. Some feel like it takes away time from their personal lives, and can be hard to manage. Having a plan is key for success. Some students have people who keep them accountable for work like their parents or teachers. For example, instead of going out with friends after school, they prioritize their school work, then go. If not, the work builds up, causing a stressful, long night.

“School does take away from my personal life. I spend 8 hours of my day at school, and then when I finally get home there is about 3 more hours of homework to do, then eat dinner and get ready for bed since I have to wake up at 5:30 for a bus that gets to my bus stop at 6:30,” said freshman Alexa McClain.

In your everyday schedules, make sure you have “off” time. Weather it’s twenty minutes to an hour. Focus on yourself, and do something healthy for yourself. . Take time to reflect on who you are as a person. Maybe it’s your religion; have down time to reflect on it. Even if you’re not, grab a good book. Make memories, and live every moment to the fullest.

“Plan on down time every day to decompress from the day. Having scheduled ‘off’ time also allows you to say yes to helping others when your friends or family have a need, and it allows you to just find some quiet solitude for your soul,” said Aspaas.

It’s important to keep a steady plan for your life, making sure that your daily needs are prioritized over the wants. Keeping that first will keep you motivated to do the activities you want to do. Hard work is a part of the school society. You can’t slack off or procrastinate too much otherwise there will be consequences. Those consequences will be not being able to fulfill what you care about; with a balanced life comes peace to your anxiety.