With finals week rapidly approaching, feelings of stress and pressure are mounting up at Galileo; whether it’s because of exams, projects or studying for finals, many students endure a high-level of anxiety during this time. Although stress may feel extremely overwhelming at times, the Galileo community has many coping mechanisms to manage this stress. Galileo Press asks students and staff, “When you’re stressed, how do you dissociate and distract yourself from that stress?”
“I like playing games like rhythm ones distracts me, and diverts the stress with a more stressful thing. Since math is my favorite subject, doing math work is soothing for me.”
– Freshman Clarissa M.
“When managing my stress, I like to lay in bed and listen to soft or Lofi music because it helps me reflect on the problems and try to find solutions.”
– Freshman Camila G.
“I like to listen to music like R&B and isolate myself. It gives me the time I need to calm down and think about what happened. I also enjoy reading nonfiction books because they’re interesting and it gives me something to focus on, and I can reflect in quiet.”
– Sophomore Camauri C.
“I play video games to avoid doing work; for example, I love playing puzzle games like Mindsweeper, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft. Through these, I get to focus on hard puzzles and the logic of the game instead and I find that it keeps me occupied. I also get to calm down before continuing my work.”
– Sophomore Maya M.
“Helping my mom with chores makes me feel calm, and since I’m busy, nobody will come and bother. This makes me feel isolated so I can calm down, and I am able to keep my mind off of stressful things.”
– Junior Rehan M.
“Listening to music, relaxing, and participating in sports or exercising in general releases stress. Coming out of a practice makes me feel more relieved, and I get to let out all the rage I have for my schoolwork, and it makes me feel calmer to take on challenges.”
– Junior Max C.
“I like listening to music with my headphones on full blast while taking a walk by myself. I enjoy sitting by the water, especially at China Beach where the sound of the water is really calming. It takes me out of my brain and allows me to be in something bigger than myself.”
– Counselor Ms. Eggerson
“I close my eyes to recenter myself and breathe deeply. It takes me out of that stressful situation, and allows me to rebuild my mental capacity. I’ve learned that counting up is also helpful for me.”
– Senior Justin S.
“I enjoy surfing, jogging, and having a mindful perspective. My wife and daughter, and other family/friends also help me with stress. I think that there is a connection between physical and mental health in terms of physical activity.”
– Math teacher Mr. Thayer
“One thing I like doing is taking my dog for a walk. I also enjoy playing NYT Games, my favorite being the spelling bee game. Being able to do something and feeling challenged distracts me from something that is actually stressing me out. Physical exercise also makes me happier and feel more grounded, plus out there in the world.”
– Calculus teacher Ms. Nelson
“I chop vegetables because I can imagine that whatever is stressing me out is getting chopped up. Carrots are popular, onions are okay except they make me cry, cucumber is satisfying, and so are fruit.”
– Biology teacher Mr. Chinn
“Talking to someone like a friend and a relative is helpful because getting everything out makes me feel better. Coloring helps me calm my brain and mind, especially adult coloring books.”
– Senior Hannah J.
