As teenagers, and especially high school students, we are constantly stressing out about one thing or another, usually for no good reason.

Something as trivial as forgetting a pencil on test day can press the panic button inside our heads and send our anxiety levels through the roof. But the most trivial and unnecessary worries of all are those we have during the “Back-to-School period.”

There are things that cause anxiety while getting ready for school that can be eliminated from our extensive list of stuff to worry about.

For some reason, teens have gotten it in their heads they must have a life-changing summer before they return to school. As soon as it hits mid-July we kick it into high gear and cram our schedules full of lunch dates, coffee runs with friends, parties, hangouts, sleepovers, concerts and all-nighters until our heads spin.

Suddenly, we’ve stressed out so much about having the best time of our lives that we forget to have any fun at all. On top of that, we’re so burnt out by the time school starts that all we want to do is go home and sleep.

It’s completely pointless. Just relax and enjoy your summer vacation and you’ll return to school on a good note.

It may be hard to accept that your summer is ending because school can be rough. Judgmental glares and hurtful comments are thrown around so carelessly that you put on you self-consciousness every morning before school along with your backpack.

This may be why we feel pressure to look our absolute best on the first day. Some people spend weeks planning their outfit. Others cut back on calories or exercise to achieve that “bikini-ready body.”But if you’re stressing, all you have to do is wear your favorite pair of jeans or break in those new Converse you love so much. Confidence comes from how you feel, not the numbers on a scale.

Getting good grades is far more important than the way you look. However, expecting perfection is unrealistic.

You have to accept the fact that you’re not going to knock every single test out of the park, especially if you’re challenging yourself by taking honors class. It’s perfectly normal to struggle. If you aren’t, you’re not learning very much. Ask for help if you need it and you’ll pass the class with minimal stress.

You also shouldn’t feel pressured to be the best in the class even if you’re taking a physical education course and want to prove you athletic dominance. Calm down, everyone. It’s P.E., not the Olympics. Just do your best.

There are so many other things that we worry about and really have no need to. I know it may feel like it now but trust me, not every little mishap will result in the world’s spontaneous demise.

High School is supposed to be the time of our lives. Why waste it on stress?

                14rmoravek@usd489.com