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J
S.A.T. (Student Awareness Tools
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)
maskmatters.org
SPRING 2018
58
ENJOY THE RIDE
//
W
hen I wake up in the morning, I feel
my head pound like a small pebble
has been lodged somewhere between
my eyebrows and the back of my head. I brush my
teeth, dress, and drive to school.
The car ride to school, a nuisance for many, is
my sanctuary. It’s when I take the time to plan my
day and recall what I need to accomplish.
Recently, on a morning drive to school, I
thought about the formal calendar meeting I had
with my mom later that morning, the meeting I
had that afternoon to transfer from a physical high
school to online school so I can spend my second
semester abroad, the textbooks I have to return to
my school, the check I need to balance my account,
when I could exercise, the notecard I’m making for
my English final, the dances I’m performing with
my school’s dance company the next day, when I
can practice my vocal exercises, the material for my
math and journalism finals (that I would be taking
in less than an hour), a rigorous application to a
mountaineer training program, and finally where
to pick up fruit and orange juice for my first hour
journalism class.
Commuting? A nuisance? The car ride couldn’t
be long enough.
This kind of day is nothing new, and managing
my inner stress climate day to day is a trick that
I’m just beginning to learn. I’ve come to realize the
value in making lists, laughing, reserving
time for what is the most important,
accepting days that don’t go as planned,
and taking responsibility when I can’t
accomplish a task for which I was
accountable.
At one point, my stress escalated
so much that I had to decide: either continue
this spiral of pressure, stress, poor health and
unhappiness, or focus my energy on what I love,
do all I can for my ultimate long-term goals, and
release the rest.
Because if we aren’t left with energy to merely
smile, then what’s the point?
– Nell Decker
Teens share personal stories of how
stress has impacted their lives
Personal Stories
