An average week for me is one with few breaks between practices, rehearsals and school work. Drivers ed, singing lessons and many other miscellaneous events often arise and cause conflict in my already strained schedule.

When life seems to never be stopping, sometimes I have to force myself to. To pause. To take a moment for myself.

For me, this might mean doing yoga with my mom on a Saturday morning, even if it’s only for 15 or 30 minutes. For others, like CHS senior Eva Beals, taking a bath resets her and gives her a well-needed break.

“After I take a bath I’m going to be in a less like a heightened emotional state and so I can think rationally and, you know, I can go and figure out what I’m gonna do when I’m going to do it and try to organize all of it so that I can get anything done,” Beals said.

By taking a bath, she is making a conscious decision to calm down her mind. When Beals doesn’t get in small things like this, the stress can take over and make it harder to get anything done at all.

Procrastination often increases with stress. The more to do, the harder it is to get it all done and that’s why people need to take these kinds of breaks. For both Beals and I, the work seems looming and impossible without time like a bath or even a short walk to process everything. Once my mind is calm, it’s much easier to find the motivation and time to get what I need to do done.

But sometimes, taking a bath can feel like a task. It can feel as if I’m taking time away from doing important things and can initiate some guilt. So, I can start on an even smaller scale.

I have to get home. I have already set aside 25 minutes of my day for the bus journey, but this also can be a restorative activity. Listening to music is something specific I can add to my day, without taking time away from anything else. Even just being outside really decreases my stress. I might not have much time when I get home, but that ritual can be amazing for my productivity later.

Pretty much everyone is going to experience stress. Especially for teenagers, there is going to be some troubleshooting on how to deal with it. When people incorporate small, achievable pleasures into their day, they can asses and act more effectively.

So forget about that English assignment for 30 minutes and watch a reality TV show with your mom. It’s ok. You are allowed to take a break. The work you’ve done will not be gone afterward, but it may be easier to finish after the reminder that life is so much more enjoyable than it feels when you are under stress.

Stress is sometimes just an indicator that your brain needs a breather. Take care of your brain and listen when it’s trying to tell you to slow down.