Juggling your life is the hardest thing you’ll encounter. Finding time for everyone and everything that needs it while trying to balance yourself, can spin your mind into a tangled-beyond-repair web… but you can untangle it.

Most of the problems students face are pressure from parents and peers, comparison to peers, and the constant fear of not being good enough, amongst a bunch more indescribable feelings. Taking on the perspective of “If you knew everything would be okay in the end, would you be easier on yourself?” unscrambles some of the harsh doubts and expectations you kill yourself for not achieving. Something as simple as a motivational phrase you repeat in your head can help you so much:

“I’m not drinking enough water and none of my homework assignments are done but I don’t have time to do them because I have work afterschool” can be remedied with a “I’m doing my best and it’ll be okay.”

“I’m so scared for this test and my college applications are pressing on me I don’t know what to do,” okay but “The world keeps spinning whether I pass or fail, get into college or not.”.

Changed perspective is what matters. If you focus on one thing, you will soon only see that thing. Therefore, if you focus on your stress all you’ll see is more stress. If you focus on it all being okay in the end, you’ll see less stress. The hardest thing to overcome is your mind. Don’t get stuck in your own head and start believing everything around you is crumbling because… surprise! It’s not!

It’s like if you saw someone with an umbrella complaining about not seeing the sun, you’d say “So then take the umbrella down,” but when you’ve done a few things wrong and begin thinking everything you’re doing is done poorly it’s a fair judgment? No! Focus on the bigger picture in your life and others; motivational phrases, happy thoughts, reassurance from yourself for yourself, anything that will get you believing you are okay and on the correct path.

Because you are.