Whether you’re a straight-A student or barely scraping by, schoolwork is bound to cause you stress from time to time. According to one Stanford study, more than half of students surveyed agreed that homework was a major source of their stress.
If schoolwork has you overwhelmed, you’re certainly not alone. There could be a number of reasons for this.
Some of us may feel stressed by homework simply due to the way it consumes your time. If you’re a student with a number of extracurricular activities, it may be hard to find time to complete work at home. When you don’t get home from a soccer tournament until 8 PM and you try to squeeze in a family dinner, rehearsing lines for the school play, and cleaning your bedroom, it can be difficult to make the decision between getting to bed at a reasonable hour and finishing those calculus problems and AP history notes.
Studies also show that perfectionism has substantially increased in recent years. This is causing a lot of undue stress as students strive to meet unrealistic expectations they are setting for themselves.
This kind of stress can be disorienting, and the overwhelming realization of all the work you have to complete can leave you paralyzed in the face of your mountain of work. When it seems impossible to get everything done, sometimes our reaction is to get nothing done.
Schoolwork may also cause stress and anxiety simply because it is difficult. Whether you’re taking a challenging set of classes, you have a learning disability, or school is just something that you struggle with as a whole, school can be a source of stress if it doesn’t come naturally to you.
Difficulties with schoolwork can do a real number on your self-esteem. If we’re honest with ourselves, none of us likes to feel dumb. Struggling to learn material that everyone else seems to understand can bruise the ego. When schoolwork leaves us demoralized, the temptation can be to avoid it altogether.
Another reason that schoolwork may make us feel pressured might be of our own doing. When we brush work under the rug because we’d rather be doing something else, it can turn into this mountain of stress that we continually avoid. When that avoided work starts to show up as zeros on the report card, it can be demoralizing.
In each of these circumstances, it’s important to allow yourself a bit of grace. Know yourself and know your capabilities. If you’re doing your best, feel confident that your accomplishments are enough, even if they don’t meet the impossible expectations we often set for ourselves.
At the same time, it’s important to set ourselves up for success. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a teacher or seek out a tutor. They are there for a reason.
Right now is also the perfect time to begin creating habits that will point you toward success. You’re much better off taking a little bit of time every day managing your schoolwork than constantly avoiding it and feeling horrible about yourself because it was left unaccomplished. Learn those positive proactive habits now to begin a life of self-discipline and success.