In a sea full of people and an environment full of opportunities, it can be hard to distinguish your place. Stepping foot inside a big school like Oak Park and River Forest High School can be extremely intimidating. Your academic performance is not the only thing judged and graded. It can feel like people are looking at the way you act, present yourself to others, and things you can not hide like your body, hair and skin color.

 A general belief of mine is to live life to the fullest, even if that means gaining a couple of stares and comments.This especially means making the most of high school.

As a junior who has come a long way in the confidence she has for herself and the ability to become comfortable in the process of being uncomfortable, I would like to share what I’ve learned over time that’s helped me be the most authentic version of myself. So here are my wishes to people who are a bit like me.

It is so easy, especially within a school environment and academic mindset, to forget the importance of taking care of yourself. When I first started high school, I made school my eternity. I allowed myself to become consumed with school and began to let go of who I was to focus on my performance in school. It took many challenges for me to understand how important I am. 

I wish for you to prioritize yourself. My health and happiness has been so important to how I approach different aspects of life, especially school. I understand that school can hold a different level of importance for people, but I notice that many teens, myself included, put their health on the back burner for their academic interest. You can still be successful and proud of your academic performance all while taking care of yourself. That can look like making time for sleep instead of staying up so late to complete an assignment or going outside for lunch instead of being inside doing work. There is nothing wrong with being productive, but overworking yourself only leads to feeling burnt out. 

Obviously you cannot go full zen in the middle of class, but you can engage in comforting habits that will help you get through the day. My routine consists of many daily habits that make things a little easier. Sometimes that may be taking a bit longer in the morning to put on a fun outfit or making time to eat breakfast at my favorite coffee shop. Not prioritizing my daily habits would result in feeling stressed and low energy. If you can, try to be consistent with your daily habits and put yourself first.  Whatever that may look like for you, do it with your head held high.

Life is too short to be stressed and tired over the demands in your life. There are so many ways to find happiness and take your life back. If your priority is full face glam, then do it; you’re beautiful either way. If it’s wearing a new outfit, then you better strut as if you’re at the Met Gala. Or maybe you just want to sit on the couch and eat your favorite pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream… and that is completely OK too.