Stress gradually wears on people like a parasite slowly takes over its host. Though it takes time for the damage to be done, it oftentimes is detrimental. Modern life has many stressors, especially for the students of Key West High School. 

Attempting to juggle success in school with sports, clubs, extracurricular activities, with work is difficult. A senior at KWHS, Sadie Dodds shared, “I feel constantly exhausted by everything that I try to do. Often I consider quitting or just trying less hard, but I always stick with it all anyway.” 

Another senior at KWHS, Rosa Nafrere, agreed with Dodds. “Having to do school while also having a job and being involved in various amounts of extracurriculars can be very tiring both physically and mentally exhausting. Some days it feels like there’s just so much to do with not enough hours in the day.” 

Constant activity is overwhelming for students to handle and even can be very harmful. Nafrere elaborated, “I feel like when I’m just nonstop working from one thing to another, I get burnt out really quickly. I’ve also noticed I get tasks done more efficiently when I make sure to set time aside to relax.” 

In order to reach a healthy balance, students must find time to relax. Dodds advised, “Honestly, the only way that I keep going is probably because I make time for myself to relax and I do think other people should be doing that too”.  

There are a large variety of ways to unwind and relax. Dodds explained, “When I want to take a break from everything that I do, I usually try to do something that takes little to no brainpower. ie. reading, watching tv, or sometimes — when I feel more up to it — hanging with friends”. 

Nafrere also suggested to her fellow students, “When relaxing, I try my best not to think about the tasks I need to get done so I don’t stress myself out and just enjoy the moments without having to worry about deadlines or planning events”. 

Even if it’s just a moment to take a breath or an hour to watch a movie, relaxation is important and necessary for keeping a balanced life. Relaxing is essential for stopping stress.