I’m starting my first days of college right now, and it’s caused me to reflect back on my life and school. I remembered how I already felt behind even from Day 1, and how I never managed to get the perfect school-life balance. Before high school, I would procrastinate extremely and usually do my homework the lunchtime before my class. Because I knew it wouldn’t affect my college admissions, I saw middle school as just a waste of time. However, when high school hit I was woefully unprepared for how to get good grades and still be happy. While I managed to stay above a 4.0 for a big majority of high school, my mental health plummeted. I tied my entire worth to school and didn’t care for myself. I only started to reach the balance needed to stay mentally healthy and get good grades. Now, I approach the school years with optimism and excitement, instead of stress and anxiety. In this article, I’ll discuss the psychological concepts behind school-life stress and how to overcome it.
Cognitive dissonance is when a person is engaging in something that goes against their beliefs, leading to disorder in the mind. When it comes to school-life balance, the comparison is evident. Students are usually caught between their mental health and academic achievement, leading to unhappiness and stress. For example, students might want to be mentally healthy, but will continue to put academics over their health time and time again. This creates discomfort within oneself. Another common example of cognitive dissonance is when you want to be healthy, but continue to not exercise and not eat the healthiest (I struggle with this one). The effects that cognitive dissonance can have on one’s life is staggering. It can cause anxiety, embarrassment, feelings of regret, and shame. And of course, this will affect someone’s school work. Even if you make the mistake to prioritize school work over your mental health and better judgment, your school work will still suffer in the long run.
Cognitive dissonance and the Yerkes-Dodson Law work together hand in hand to create stress in your life. The Yerkes-Dodson Law is a psychological concept that explores the relationships between stress and performance. When stress reaches a certain point, it can help to boost performance. However, when stress is too low or too high, it can decrease performance. While cognitive dissonance can work to raise your stress levels, the Yerkes-Dodson Law will use those high levels of stress to decrease performance.
The best tip to become good at time management is to plan ahead. Set achievable goals for yourself and daily tasks you want to get done. This will help you to both feel and become more organized. When you feel like you have control over your life, it leads to less stress. It also helps you to feel as though you’re accomplishing something everyday, which leads to higher self-esteem. Using planning tools helps immensely with setting goals/tasks for yourself. Whether this be a planner (my personal favorite since my boyfriend bought me one), using a virtual/real calendar, or the notes app, use something to help you balance your time.
Another one of the most important things to remember about time management is that you need to take breaks. Without time to recharge, your work and mental health will suffer in the long run. However, if you take the time to equally balance both your work and your personal life, your life will be much more stable. Too much of one can cause instability, which could lead to cognitive dissonance and stress. A good way to make sure you’re practicing resting is to not pick up another task until you’ve had ample time to rest after the first task, and try not to work on weekends.
Achieving a healthy school-life balance has a lot of benefits that extend beyond the classroom. When you prioritize both your academics and personal life, you create a more fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle. This balance helps to reduce stress and prevents burnout, allowing you to stay motivated and engaged in your studies. Moreover, it fosters better mental health by giving you time to relax, socialize, and pursue activities you enjoy, which are essential for maintaining a positive outlook. For me, I enjoy embroidery, crime documentaries, animated movies, and cooking! A balanced approach also leads to improved academic performance, as a well rested, happy mind is more effective in remembering information and solving problems. Ultimately, by managing your time wisely and making space for self-care, you start the journey for long term success, not only in school but in all aspects of your life.