We’re All Stressed! How Do We Cope?

Redwood students share how they deal with stress and hard times.

By: Adam Lopez

In life, we’re bound to be stressed. As a matter of fact, according to the American Psychological Association in 2024, 75% of high school students report experiencing stress in school.

This stress accumulates and has negative effects on teenagers. They can start to feel bad about themselves, give them anxiety, and even impact their sleep schedules.

So how do we battle this in our day-to-day lives? What do students here at Redwood do after hard situations that cause them stress?

Erik Rico, ‘25, says “Just taking a deep breath to try to relax and calm down, and just sit down and think about the situation and why it was a hard situation. Then just reflect and find a way to get better from that situation.”

Madelynn Aaron, ‘27, says that she just stops talking, shuts her eyes, and takes deep breaths.

Abel Perez, ‘28, says, “I usually just like to relax or listen to some music. Or maybe if I’m at my house, I usually just like to pick up weights and lift.”

From working out to just taking deep breaths, the answer varies student-to-student. Student’s have their own routines to unwind.

Edward Gonzales, ‘26, says, “Maybe go to sleep, play some music, games. Hang out with friends.”

Gabrielle Caro, ‘27, says, “I go on my bed and I throw a blanket over my head and I just go scroll through my phone.”

Rico adds, “I’d go on my phone and just relax in my bed and chill out, or watch TV, maybe just even like a hot bath or something like that. Just to calm your muscles down, just relax for the day, and get ready for bed.”

Gricelda Carreon, ‘27, says, “I cook and I bake to unwind.”

Tags: clubs & lifestyles, mental health, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood mental health, redwood rangers, rhs, rhs mental health, stress, the branch, unwind