Struggling with Academic Pressure

Hello everyone,

I know what they say about your pre-final year of high school, but I didn’t expect it to feel like I’m constantly running behind, trying to catch up while the pressure just keeps building. Between exams, deadlines, and the endless expectations (both from teachers and myself) it’s like I can never really relax. Being a perfectionist doesn’t help either, because even when I do well, I feel like I should’ve done better. And then there’s the whole ‘university is going to be even harder’ thing hanging over my head, which honestly just makes everything worse. I don’t want to reach that point already exhausted, but right now, I’m not sure how to slow down. I’ve tried all the usual advice like taking breaks, making schedules, and trying not to overthink, but nothing seems to stick. The stress still creeps in, making it hard to focus, hard to sleep, hard to enjoy anything outside of school. I know I need to find a better way to deal with it, to stop letting the pressure control me, but I don’t know where to start. I think I’m the only one in my school who is struggling this badly, so I can’t really ask my friends. That’s why I’ve decided to come here and ask for your advice. How do you manage the stress? How do you mentally prepare yourself without burning out before getting there? Because I want to do well, but I also want to actually live through it.

Advice

First of all: you’re not alone in this. High school is tough, and especially those last 3 years. Just know there are so many people who feel the same pressure, even if they don’t always show it. The deadlines, the expectations, the fear of not doing enough, it’s overwhelming. And when you’re a perfectionist, it’s even harder to step back and breathe.

What helped me was realizing that good enough is sometimes enough. Not every assignment has to be perfect, or even finished. Not every study session needs to be productive, sometimes you just need extra rest. You’re human, not a machine. Learning how to accept that now will make things easier, not just for this year but for university too.

Another thing? Real breaks. Not the kind where you scroll through your phone while feeling guilty, but actual rest, going for a walk, listening to music, doing something you enjoy without thinking about school. If you don’t give yourself that space, burnout isn’t just something that might happen, it’s pretty much a guarantee.

And please, don’t keep it all inside. Talk to someone, a teacher, a friend, or even just write it out. Stress grows in silence. Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing, it just means you care. This isn’t your whole life, it’s just a phase of it. And I am sure you will get through it.