High school is undoubtedly stressful, with the towering amounts of homework and studying for tests and quizzes, not to mention the stress that comes from finals. Many students don’t realize the impact that built-up stress can have on them, and it is important to do things to help relieve that built-up stress.

Filling up a coloring book, painting, meditating, doing yoga and listening to music are all suggested ways to help your mind relax. I think, however, the best way to relieve stress is to clean.

Balancing school, being an athlete and spending time with loved ones can be overwhelming at times. To clear my mind, I find cleaning the most effective. Now, I know cleaning doesn’t seem like the most fun activity, but the feeling of a clean environment can help you relax. When my room is messy, I am unable to focus, which makes it harder to get things done, in my opinion. Before I can get ready for bed or start my homework, I need to be in a clean area.

While there are other suggested ways to relieve stress, I find them boring or not very helpful. Take coloring, I get bored after 10 minutes. Painting just creates a mess, which adds more stress. Compared to different strategies, listening to music doesn’t really ease stress for me, so cleaning is the best option.

Living in an unorganized or messy environment can affect your ability to focus, so taking the time to make your bed, putting the clean laundry away or even organizing your desk drawers can be calming. It creates a peaceful environment, allowing you to tackle other tasks easily. Cleaning also provides a mood boost and gives you more control over your habitat and surroundings.

Seeing my room clean, with my vanity organized and my floors spotless, makes me feel more productive and allows me to complete everything else I have to finish, like homework or studying. Being able to sit down at my desk without worrying about the disaster behind me helps me focus on my assignments to ensure I’m giving 100%.

The next time you feel overwhelmed and have a little too much on your plate, take some time to clean or organize. Being in a clean environment can help, and with ACTs coming up, lots of students will be stressed, so take a few hours to clean and relieve that built-up stress.