Recently people have been talking to me about all of their school stresses and troubles. While thinking about how to respond to them, I realized that I have many things stressing me as well. Homework, tests, and quizzes are just a few of the stresses from school. Even though I probably have just as many struggles with school as some of my friends, they don’t play as big of a part in my life. The main thing I can attribute this to is sports.

I have been playing water polo and volleyball for around 2 years now. During this time I have felt significantly less focus on the stress of school. Sports give me a break from the real world when I can ignore schoolwork and go all in on my sports. When I get back from them, I am even more ready to work on my schoolwork.

Playing sports helps me avoid burnout of school. Sometimes people get really sick of school a little while into the school year. Sports are really the main reason that I don’t get burnt out. The everyday fun that sports provide me really makes me not get bored with school.

My mental health is something that is very important to me and stress is one of the main things that can ruin mental health. Using sports as a stress reliever is really one of the smartest things any student can do. It has worked in previous instances for me and many of my friends to help us focus on the good and not the bad.