I’ve certainly had my fair share of worries this year.

From college essays and applications in fall to keeping up my grades for the mid-year report, not to mention the stress of college getting closer. Highschool seniors like me have a lot on their plate. Stress is an inevitable part of being human. The important part is that we learn to moderate it properly. This is really an act of self-love.

The first step to regulating your stress levels is understanding what makes you stressed out. Then you can take measures to minimize it. Having a schedule that allows you to regulate your work and leisure habits is essential to having a healthy and satisfactory day.

Making a schedule and knowing what you need to get done when is essential, but it’s important not to fill this schedule up with too much. Trying to take on everything can make both you and the results of a task worse off. Make sure to fit in some time for yourself to relax in whatever way you find best.

Trying to make these new policies a habit for me in my daily life has been a bit hard, but using tools like Google Calendar and Microsoft To Do make it easier to manage everything from small jobs to big projects. Taking care of yourself is important to do and everyone finds their own way to do it. This February, make it a goal to manage your stress – practice self-love.