When I saw my score on a history essay at the beginning of the year, I was disappointed. Despite my hours of work on a product that I was ultimately proud of, I still didn’t do as well as I expected. As I talked to a friend who had received the same score, and was pleased with the grade, I realized what I could attribute my disappointment to: perfectionism.
Perfectionism represents my high expectations for myself, but I am not the only one with this mindset. OxJournal claims that 85.4% of people struggle with perfectionistic tendencies.
As I have moved through high school, I have developed new skills and a different mentality about how to combat perfectionism. I highly recommend that one thinks about strategies if they are feeling overwhelmed with a heavy workload.
Over time I have learned that it is more important to feel comfortable with the material being taught, rather than just taking a class for honors credits. This mentality has given me the ability to truly reflect about how I should prioritize my time and use skills that I strongly recommend from taking extensions to prioritizing my sleep schedule to make me a more productive student.
Another crucial tool that I have used over the past few years is utilizing the extension policy. I think that there is a stigma against taking extra time to complete assignments, however, sometimes there can be an overwhelming number of activities and so much school work that an extension is needed.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, extensions can help students manage their academic workload, personal responsibilities and can help relieve stress.
This feeling of stress is something that taxes many high school students, primarily having to do with a want to succeed in school. The World Health Organization states that 63% of high school girls and 43% of boys feel rising pressure from their academic workload. This affects many parts of the lives of students from time management to their ability to socialize. The stress and multitude of work that many students experience tends to impact their sleep schedules.
It is necessary to prioritize sleep, because according to the Mayo Clinic Health System, sleep is how the brain builds memory. If one is sleep deprived, it will affect their ability to take in new information. This is something that I particularly notice when I am tired. If an extension is what allows me to go to sleep at a reasonable time, then I will request that extension.
In addition to getting extensions, a tool that I commonly use to combat stress and perfectionism is taking breaks while doing schoolwork. Rather than spending all of my time studying and completing homework, I will usually take short breaks throughout my evening to do things that I enjoy. Whether this is done by reading or watching television, I notice that when I get back to my work after a break, I am able to focus much better.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill states that taking breaks can help reduce stress and boost productivity levels. This is because the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in concentration, loses its ability to pay attention as time passes. This means that taking breaks intermittently literally recharges the brain, and resets the ability to focus.
While it may sound appealing to me to stay up doing work until I finish all of my assignments, it is important to acknowledge that at some point, a heavy workload becomes too much for the brain. This means that the work I do will not be as good as it could be if I prioritized giving my brain time to rest.
Perfectionism thrives when all one does is focus on work, therefore taking the time to sleep, and taking breaks helps break the perfectionistic cycle. This means that it is important to have perspective when choosing classes and spending time on school work. It helps to remember that getting one slightly lower grade will not change a person’s entire future.
If one works hard, they will eventually get where they are supposed to be. When I finally realized that I could still be a good student while doing things that prioritized my mental well-being, my high school career became much more rewarding and less stressful. I highly recommend employing these skills to lower stress and make school a healthier experience.
