Is Online School Stressing You Out???

April 7, 2021 Nadya Corscadden

So…you have to go to school from home, and it’s stressing you out?

Congratulations - you’re normal! Online school doesn’t have to be extra stressful, but when you’re studying online because you HAVE to (because the world IS very stressful right now), it’s a completely different story.

Even if the situation could bring positive results, it’s admittedly very hard to find the positive in something when it’s presented to you because of trauma.

Stay strong, my friend, you got this.

And if you need a few pick-me-ups, keep reading.

These are the BEST things to do when online school is stressing you out.

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Take a Break

When the world is spiralling out of control, the absolute worst thing to do is to continue to put your own pressure on the situation. Take a step back and take a breather instead.

The thing is, stress is stress. It doesn’t even matter if it’s brought on by your schoolwork or the world around you, to fight it is going to be a losing battle.

Take some time to do something for you. Do something that prioritizes making YOU feel better.

Things like mediation and yoga might be your thing, or they might not. Don’t try to force something that isn’t there. Maybe watch some tv or play a game instead. Maybe have a long shower or bath. How about a puzzle?

Set a time limit and dedicate 30 minutes to doing exactly what you need to feel better right then and there. You might not have time to take an entire night away, but you can likely dedicate a small chunk of time to yourself. It will be worth it in the end because you’ll be more functional once you DO get back to work.

Break Things Down

Sometimes it’s the sheer volume of a project that’s intimidating. And, to be fair, what’s more daunting than staring at a blank screen and knowing that in 1000000 hours, you have to hand in a completely original document that involves painstaking research and countless hours of re-writes and editing???

Instead of focusing on the whole monster project, focus on creating bite-sized, completable projects: things that you can fully complete in one sitting. If you don’t have a finish-able section (such as “write 1 page” or “write 500 words about X”), set yourself a time limit goal. Dedicate 30 minutes to moving forward. Once you finish this, it has been completed and accomplished whether it had an overall positive impact or not. It’s much easier to adapt/alter something for next time if it has been completed, rather than an open-ended “work until I’ve made progress and I’m tired” goal.

You brain is motivated by progress, and prefers to be able to see the end in sight. So, try to make your goals actionable, completable, and short-term. Long-term can be useful for scheduling, but it’s hard to compete with the motivation given by a short-term goal.

Get Fresh Air

Room air gets stale pretty quickly if you’re inside for seemingly forever. This is even the case if you’re in a super bright room with tons of natural light. It’s also even the case if you have an air purifier right beside your desk. Stale air can be as much psychological as it is a genuine physical aversion.

Go outside and go for a walk. Open the window. Find a bench and work outside in the park.

Fresh air therapy is real and a must in your studying life.

If you absolutely cannot get outside, buy a little plant (or a big plant, for that matter) and stick it somewhere you can see it. It may only clean the air a teensy tiny bit (to be honest, it’s pretty negligible), but it will also bring a little joy and feeling of nature vibes to your indoor environment.

If you want to go all-out, look into some of the best plants at cleaning air. My favourite’s the anthurium. They can be picked up at almost any grocery store, and the blooms will last for ages (though once they’re gone, they usually don’t re-bloom…they just stay true to their green glory).

Check out some of the best air purifying plants here: https://www.ecowatch.com/20-plants-that-improve-air-quality-in-your-home-1938383954.html

Don’t Procrastinate

I know - it’s easier said than done. But the thing is, you don’t have to get a head start with leaps and bounds of work. A head start can just mean starting super early on a small review habit.

Whenever you finish your day, review your notes from that day again. In the morning, re-read everything one more time to re-fresh what you learned.

The earlier you start reviewing, the better. Starting early means you can practice much more passive techniques and still get stellar results.

Isn’t that what everyone’s hoping for? Passive instead of active learning techniques.

To read up on even more study techniques to help de-stress-ify your studying, check out:

The Secret Guide to Stress-Free Studying now available on Amazon.

Ask for Help

When it doubt, get help. There are professionals who can help you. They have been TRAINED to help you because help is something people need. They have that training because they WANT to help you. The reasons for these professionals is completely two-sided. People need help, and people want to help so much that they have trained to become helpers.

Your teacher isn’t the only person who can help, either. Tutors can help with specific academic struggles. Mental health professionals can help with life troubles. Parents/guardians and friends can help, too, depending on the situation.

Comfort and trust should be the deciding factors to everything. Just because someone is available and willing to help doesn’t mean they are the best person for you. Never be afraid of putting yourself first and not settling for something just because it’s the easiest/most convenient route.

Acknowledge your Wins

Even when everything is stressful and sucks, there are still wins in there! Did you sit down and look at something for 10 minutes even though you still didn’t get it? That’s a win! Did you just get the nerve to ask for help? That’s a win! Did you finally get one of your classmates names right? That’s a win!

High marks should never be your only benchmark for winning (though obviously they are, admittedly, nice). Know that they are not the only aspect of success that matters. Make sure your own perception of success is relative to you. If you’re actively trying and asking for help when you need, you are as much a success story as the person who get’s 100% every time.

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If you want to keep reading, here are some other articles that were specially picked for readers like you!

Who is Nadya Corscadden?

Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!

She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!