A google form was put up in the library to ask students what they wanted advice on and what came back was interesting to say the least. A lot of the responses focused on mental health and peer relationships.

Boise High students are some of the most intellectually driven students in Boise and even Idaho. With that comes peer on peer competition which is challenging enough mentally but to throw the social environment of this school and on top of all of it can be stressful. The specific response I want to give advice on is “How do I accomplish the balancing act of highschool with sports, other extracurriculars, homework work and social life. It all feels like so much and I wish I could find a way to do everything without letting one slip again.”

This response hits close to home as I am a very busy person by nature and always seem to be adding more and more. What I’ve learned about this is that, for the sake of my mental health, something always has to slip. Choosing what slips is where you can take the power back in the situation and make what you like most your priorities. Along with this, doing things for yourself because you want to and not because you’re forced to. I have also realized that it improves my mental health when I have a balance of extracurriculars that are physical and mental. It allows me to not over work one part of myself and it gives me time to reset and rebalance.

Organizational skills are so important for me when I need to accomplish something. This could be using google tasks to keep track of what you need to get done or simply just writing a list in your notes app. If I don’t have an ongoing list of what I need to get done that day, or even that week, it’s hard for me to keep my mind straight because I’m always thinking of what I need to get done and not actually doing it. 

Being able to ask for help is my last piece of advice. Although it may seem like there’s no people to help you or willing to help you, I promise you there are resources for you. Some of those could include MAC or WAC for school or going to see the nurse about an injury that’s bothering you. There are always resources available to help you, you just need to help yourself get to them.