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Stressed High School Student
Hi, there. I'm a high school student, and I guess I'm seeking advice. I always liked school in elementary and middle school; I hated the weekends and I'd stay after school for all sorts of clubs. But now, I hate it. Everyone's always lecturing to me about how 'these are the best years of my life' or telling me that 'this is as easy as it gets', but dear God, I can't imagine it getting any worse than this. I'm miserable in school? and out of school, all I do is dread and dwell on how I have to go back in a couple days. I have no motivation to do homework or practice my flute or do anything productive. I feel like this is all for nothing, like my life isn't going anywhere and I'm going to end up a stay-at-home mom with unfulfilled dreams or working at some mediocre job I don't even like. I think that I don't even belong in my honors classes because I don't feel smart anymore. I feel so physically and mentally exhausted.
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
So what changed for you since middle school? Changes to family structure, having relocated, an accident , disease, etc. Unexpected changes or those out of our control can rob us of daily rob us of daily joy and it is easy to become stressed, depressed or just burned out.
Personally, when in High School, for the most part, I did just what was needed to get by, had a handful of friends but other than that, didnt participate much in school and couldn't wait to graduate and really begin my life. While all the girls were weeping at graduation, I was excited for school to be over with. I was not depressed or burnt out. I simply happened to be quite a lot more mature than my peers so there was no challenge, no fun in being part of hanging in there and going with the program, much like if you were the only teen expected to attend a Kindergarten class every day and participate at that level. So go ahead and start making plans for what you will do when you get out. I planned to go straight to work which I did and soon after bought my first car. You are going to be able to handle HS and find energy to do what the basics are if you can bring back hope, a direction, goals into your life. Or perhaps your goals for after HS seem to impossible or unlikely to meet or make happen. Take those plans in smaller bits then. If you don't find a way to change your thinking and views of your life, then you could easily become depressed. Stress is a step away from depression.
I dont get the saying that HS is the best years of your life. I will say that they are the best for feeling a bit of what its like to be an almost adult and not have any of the burdons and responsibilities that an adult or parent has. Before 18, parents still handle it all, provide a home, clothing food, etc but once you are an adult on your own, you have the same set of concerns any adult has, having enough incoming money to handle all your bills which include your livelihood, food, place to sleep at night, school loans, or a car and the upkeep of it, etc... I think the saying is meant to say its the best time in life as far as being carefree. However my life didn't take a turn for being the best years of my life until I met my 2nd husband just before turning 50. Oh, I had great moments and memories of being a mom raising my kids. But the part of life that affected me personally was shitty....abusive ex so in reality I am now living the best years of my life. Who knows when yours will be.
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Sounds like you're just burned out. Happens to everyone. Even people who like their jobs get burned out at one point or another. Personally, I hated school. High school in particular. I don't believe high school is "the best years of your life." You are forced to be somewhere you don't want to be and there's pretty much nothing you can do about it. At least you can quit your job and find a new one. If anything, I'd say life starts and gets better after high school. Because before then, you have very little control.
I wouldn't worry about getting a mediocre job or being a stay at home mom. Even if you do great in school and get an extravagant job, you can still get burned out if you don't have a passion for what you are doing. There's lots of people who worked hard at school and college and just ended up with mediocre jobs anyway. Also, there's people who didn't work hard at school but became a great success in whatever line of work they got after high school because they had a passion for it. AND there's also people who don't have extravagant jobs but they love what they do and they are happy people, sometimes more happy than people who make more money or have more important jobs. Money isn't everything. Sure you'll need it to live. But it really doesn't buy happiness and fulfillment.
All I can say is "this too shall pass." School is just a shitty part of our lives we have to live with until we graduate. Hate to say it, but unless you drop out, its true. As far as dealing with being burned out. Perhaps taking on something new that you WANT to do to break out of the every day monotony. Maybe there's some group or activity you can join outside of school that you will enjoy and help you forget about or help cope with school. I think preferably something physical, like dance or martial arts or sports. Maybe But only you know what you like. Or maybe something fulfilling that makes you feel good about yourself. Don't worry, life gets better.
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