Opinions expressed in editorials are those of the writer(s). These views may not represent those of the adviser; of the Trail staff as a whole; of the Trail’s advertisers; of the administration, faculty or staff of McIntosh High School; of Fayette County Public Schools or of the FCBOE School Board members.
Many high school students decide to enter the workforce, including myself. I started working at Chick-Fil-A around the middle of my sophomore year and have been employed for over a year. In my high school- as I’m sure it is for almost every high school- traffic is no joke. It can range anywhere between five and fifteen minutes just to get out of the parking lot at McIntosh, not factoring in the traffic from the school to your destination.
However, in the city I live in, the majority of people drive in golf carts, using over one hundred miles of golf cart paths throughout the city. It’s much easier leaving the school on the golf cart rather than in the car. However, when storms hit, trees can fall and block the paths, forcing students like me to reroute to an often longer route to get home or to work. School ends at 3:45 and I often am scheduled to clock in to work at 4. This can make it hard for students to get to work or other places on time when trees, traffic and other obstacles get in the way.
Luckily, my managers are all understanding of the traffic situation and are pretty lenient when coming in a little late unless it’s over around 10 minutes. Regardless, even with their leniency, the stress of going to school, changing for work and still trying to be on time is a lot.
Factoring in the stress of balancing friends and family time, everything adds up to a lot. I have two younger siblings (that I live with), both under four. I often try to help my mom out with them, as I know her stress as a stay-at-home mom is a lot, especially with young children and a teenager and she deserves time for her own mental health. However, helping take care of my siblings makes it a struggle to also make time with friends. I work after school every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I used to work on Saturdays as well, but I had to change my availability in order to try and make more time for friends and family. However, even with this open time, it’s still hard to factor everyone in.
I know a lot of my friends and peers feel similarly, that making time for everyone in your life is a skill most are not taught and have to learn by yourself.
Balancing school work, having a job, taking care of siblings, spending time with family, making time for friends and so many other factors can be insanely stressful and is something lots of teenagers experience. I’ve tried to help others find a better way to balance when they feel completely out of whack.
My best advice for balancing everything, is dedicating certain days to specific things. For example, I often save my Sundays for my friends. Thursdays and Saturdays are when I try to go to the gym if my homework from school isn’t too heavy. Throughout the week, if I don’t have work, I try my best to make time for friends or family. Also, by prioritizing tasks and focusing on them first for school and then worrying about making time for friends after creates less for you to be worried about and can help you be more present during time with friends or family. Trying to reduce your procrastination (which I have a horrible habit of falling into) can also help, by turning off your phone and locking in on your work, you’ll find yourself having more time to do the things you actually want to be doing.
Another thing is learning when to say “no”, if your schedule feels too full, you shouldn’t feel like you have to say yes and try to squeeze time in. Setting clear boundaries with those around you may help reduce your stress as it did mine.
In all, work-life balance is achievable. Though it may seem impossible, taking advantage of advice can help you achieve some amount of relief from stress.
