Balance as a Student Athlete
Being a Student Athlete can be really tough and it can be a real struggle to get through school with good grades as well as a level of athletic success that you are happy with. So I’m here to share what helps me and makes balancing school, sports, and life in general possible.
Setting aside some time to get organized and plan out the next little bit. Input all the tournaments you are going to, family events, exams, big projects due dates, training camps, etc. into a planner or into your phone.
Making lists! I cannot emphasize this enough!!! Making lists has honestly saved me so much. I have a to-do list app and I have a to-do list for each day of the week that is constantly getting updated and edited. This would be for the smaller tasks that don’t make much sense to put on a calendar. This would be like practices, chores, homework, laundry, meal prep, etc. It is so satisfying to see a list getting checked off. Like as soon as a teacher assigns something, write it down and plan it out how you will manage your time to get it done.
At the beginning of a new season or school year, sit down and plan out how you will balance training and your school responsibilities. So you can coordinate the times and days that you have classes and the times and days that you have practices and training sessions or anything else that you may have going on a week to week basis.
Obviously no amount of planning, lists, or being organized can prevent the fun surprises that life throws at you so it is important to remember that everything is subject to change and that we have to adapt and be flexible with that change.
So next time you have a lot to do and you are getting overwhelmed just make a list of what you need to do and then start doing it one item at a time. It helps to organize your thoughts and give you a little bit of peace. Often times I get very stressed out and I feel as though I have so much to do, but after adding it to a list I realize that I only really have a few extra things that I need to do that day. Writing down what I need to get done on a list makes the tasks at hand seem much less daunting.
These are just some tips that I find make my life a bit easier. As I move onto University I know it will be different from high school but these three things will hopefully help me to adapt and reduce overall stress.
With the new school year fast approaching I hope this helps you live your best life and gives you some practical advice to enhance your school year.