Balancing everything within the school year is one of the things I, myself as a student, find extremely difficult. Just as everything is starting to feel routine in the summer, you have to add seven hours of school to your agenda. As students, we are expected to excel in school and try our hardest in sports, which I respect and think is valid. But when things get out of hand and are busy during the fall, it is easy to crumble. The stress of getting everything done within a 15-hour time frame, while still having at least 6 hours of sleep, three meals, 2 hours of practice, and time with family and friends, all while maintaining a calm persona, is overwhelming. If you are involved in any extracurricular activities after school, you know the hustle of organizing your day to make time for homework and then ending up saving it for your study hall the next day. I wish I had advice to give those who do this but I am as guilty as any. The only way that I have found to balance these things is by focusing on one step at a time. That single overused phrase has gotten me through the hustle of the fall. While you’re at practice, focus on practice and what you can do in that moment to improve. While in school, focus on studying. Metathesiophobia is the fear of the future or the “what ifs” of life. What if you prioritized school? What if you don’t succeed? What if I let them down? Focus on the moment and on what you have to do now, and I promise, you will be okay. Don’t worry about the future or how you will get there ,but focus on today.
