On Friday, January 9th, Diane Boehm and Amanda Sherman, visited Jesuit and gave a speech about managing stress and responsibility before participating in a questionnaire with student council leaders about the nature of stress in students’ lives.
What Happened
Both Diane Boehm and Amanda Sherman are therapists of the Insights Collaborative Therapy Group, based in Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Sherman focuses on assisting people with conditions like anxiety while Mrs. Boehm focuses on guiding those who are neurodivergent and their families. After the guest speakers introduced themselves, they gave a presentation to the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes over the topic of the importance of setting boundaries for yourself and protecting your mind, time, and relationships. Following the presentation, the counselors transitioned into a Q&A in which 3 student council representatives, Nicholas Carter ‘28, Aiden Garza ‘27 and
Jonathan Wrightsman ’27, asked questions, some of which being from an online survey given to Jesuit students last year. There were many concepts and lessons discussed, but I have assembled a list with what I believe to be some of the most impactful. However, something that must be kept in mind is how not everything will work for all people, a sentiment reiterated throughout the assembly.
1. Splitting Up Your Work
First is the idea of splitting up work. During the assembly, 30 minutes at a time was tossed around as a good amount of time to spend completing necessary tasks. In between these smaller sessions, one can take a break. Although the idea of doomscrolling was not entirely denounced by the counselors, the point was made that if spending time on social media raises stress or other negative feelings, another method of stress relief should be used. For example, you could listen to a podcast instead. I find that in my schoolwork, splitting up larger assignments over a period of time instead of doing everything at once can be very beneficial, but this requires planning.
2. Taking Time for Yourself
Another big topic of the discussion was the importance of taking time for yourself. One example the counselors gave was taking a trip to sonic. I believe that each person should have their “sonic.” Some sort of activity you can do where you can enjoy yourself and destress. From playing videogames with friends to working out with a gym, there are many ways to take a break from what is required of you.
3. Remembering You Are in a High-Pressure Environment
The last major point I’d like to make is how as a Jesuit student you must keep in mind how you are in a high-pressure environment. Being surrounded by incredibly competitive people may cause you to compare yourself to your peers. The counselors mentioned how you should recognize your own capabilities and accept them. In addition to this, a major point was how in this stage of life, it is very normal for people to feel anxious or stressed out.
“I feel like what really resonated with me about…today’s assembly was…the fact where…it is completely normal to be stressed.” – Mitchell Mortimer ’28
Final Thoughts
There were many other points discussed during the assembly, but these were some of what I felt were some of the most important ones. Although talking about topics like this may be somewhat uncomfortable, it is very important to take the time to consider them. Thinking about how you can implement these lessons into your own life may help you to find success in coping with your stress. As always, you should always speak with people you trust like a counselor or parent should you feel like you are struggling with stress management. There are so many amazing people at Jesuit to speak to, so there is no reason to feel you are alone.
Stay tuned into The Roundup for more coverage of Jesuit news!
Thanks to Mitchell Mortimer, Nicholas Carter and Mr. Williams for their help making this article!
Info about the counselors was found here: https://www.insightstherapy.com/therapists
