Life can be hard sometimes, but it is important to keep a positive outlook to get through the harder times.

Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, but keeping a positive outlook through the struggles can help it go by easier.

High school is a really stressful time for all grade levels.

The freshmen are worried about their first year of high school and doing well both academically and socially. The sophomores are worried about keeping their grades up and being involved in as much as they can.

The juniors are worried about keeping their grades up and being involved in leadership roles so that they can build the best resume for college as they can.

Finally, the seniors are worried about the college application process and the leadership roles they hold. They also are worried about getting the most out of their senior year because they will be leaving in less than seven months.

Now that it’s established that everyone has stressful lives during their high school years, there are a multitude of ways to deal with all of the concerns. There are both healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress. Healthy coping mechanisms include mindfulness, yoga, talking to a counselor or therapist about the stress, and by keeping a positive outlook.

I want to focus on keeping a positive outlook because I think the foundation to someone’s happiness and attitude comes from their outlook on life. In my experience, I have always tried to keep a positive attitude which has translated to me also having a positive outlook with life. This last year has been one of the hardest years of my life, and throughout this time, I have tried my best to keep a positive outlook, and I believe that it has helped me to better work through the struggles.

Keeping a positive outlook could be as simple as being happy that you got to see your friend before school one morning or that you didn’t have homework in your math class. It could be as complicated as saying to yourself that today will be a good day if A, B, and C happen, but I would recommend keeping it simple.

I highly suggest not falling into the trap of thinking that life is ever too stressful or that you won’t be able to make it through because life is always doable; you just have to have the right outlook on life.

If you go into something with a bad attitude, it is going to be an undisputed bad experience for you. However, if you go into something with a positive attitude, there is chance for you to enjoy it. The same goes for life because life is more enjoyable when you wake up every morning hoping to have a good day — even when you feel like the world may be coming apart around you.

If there is any advice I could give any student at JC, it would be to always try to find the positives in everything you do because although it might feel like your world is falling apart, there is always a brighter side to all things; you just have to look for it.