‘I Have Too Much to Do!’

OLYMPIC weight lifters do not try to set records every day. They regularly work out with smaller weights and in this way gain strength for the big lifts. If they constantly pushed themselves to the limit, they would put dangerous stress on their muscles and joints and risk their career.

In like fashion, as a student, you probably work hard in school. And when you receive difficult assignments or prepare for exams, you are willing and able to make an even greater effort. * But what if all your days were packed only with schoolwork and other assignments? You might find it hard to eat properly or get a good night’s rest. The constant high level of stress could eventually make you sick. Perhaps that is how you feel now. *

Homework That Does Not Stop

“As I go on to higher grades, my homework increases and gets more difficult. Finishing it takes a long time,” says Hiroko, * a 15-year-old student in Japan. “I have many other things that I want to do, but the homework must be turned in the next day. I sometimes feel panicky.” Regarding the homework she receives, 14-year-old Svetlana in Russia writes: “Completing my homework has become more difficult. Every year I have more subjects to study and the teachers assign much more material. Also, each teacher considers his subject to be more important than the rest. It is hard to find a balance and get it all done.”

Why is so much emphasis put on homework? Eighteen-year-old Gilberto in Brazil writes: “Teachers say that they want to prepare us for the highly competitive job market.” Even if that is the case, you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of homework you receive. Perhaps you can reduce stress both by changing the way you view it and by taking practical steps to get organized.

Consider increased homework as training that you need so you can be successful as an adult. Although the time you spend doing homework may seem endless, your school years will end sooner than you think. When you start working to support yourself, you will be glad you finished those difficult assignments.  You will ‘see good because of the hard work’ you put into your schooling.​—Ecclesiastes 2:24.

You can alleviate much stress by being self-disciplined and organized. (See the box  “Practical Ways to Reduce Stress.”) When you establish a pattern of doing your schoolwork punctually and carefully, your teachers may come to trust you and want to help you. Imagine that you have that kind of relationship with one of your teachers. If something unexpected were to come up and you told him or her in advance that you could not complete an assignment on time, don’t you think that your teacher would be more inclined to give you a break? One of God’s servants named Daniel “was trustworthy and no negligence or corrupt thing at all was found in him.” Daniel’s diligence in carrying out his work won him the praise and trust of the king. (Daniel 6:4) If you imitate Daniel in the way you handle your school assignments, you may receive extra consideration when you need it.

Will paying attention in class, doing homework, and completing projects on time relieve you of all school-related stress? No, but some of the remaining stress may just come from your own desire to do well. Instead of looking for an easy way out of schoolwork, you may end up really wanting to learn and benefit from your classes.

Stress of that kind is positive and desirable. You may, however, face stress that is harmful and needless.

 Extracurricular Activities Keep Them Running

Imagine someone who always drives his car hard. He approaches stop signs at high speed and screeches to a stop. Then he steps on the accelerator and speeds off with his wheels spinning. What will that wild driver end up doing to his car? He will likely damage the engine and other parts. But before that, he may destroy it in a serious accident.

In a similar way, many students drive their bodies and minds relentlessly, before and after school. In her book Doing School, Denise Clark Pope wrote the following about several students she had met: “Their school days started early, a full hour or two before most adults began their work days, and often ended late at night, after soccer practice, dance rehearsals, student council meetings, paid job responsibilities, and homework time.”

When students keep such a fast pace day after day, they set themselves up for problems. Because of intense stress, they may suffer from stomach ailments and headaches. As constant fatigue weakens their immune system, they may fall sick. Then the fast pace comes to a crawl and they may have quite a struggle to regain their strength. Has something like that been happening to you?

It is fine to work hard toward worthwhile goals, but no matter how strong you are, there is a limit to what you can do in a day. The Bible offers this sound counsel: “Let your reasonableness become known to all men.” (Philippians 4:5) Two definitions of the word “reasonable” are “not extreme or excessive” and “possessing sound judgment.” A reasonable person makes decisions that are not harmful to himself or others. He manifests maturity, which is invaluable in today’s unstable world. So to conserve your health, be reasonable​—eliminate some of the less-essential activities to which you have committed yourself.

Pursuing Wealth

To some young people, however, reasonableness seems a hindrance rather than a help in reaching their goals. Such students believe that the key to success is a high-paying job and the riches that such a job  produces. Pope encountered that kind of thinking among some of the young people she met. She observed: “These students wished they could get more hours of sleep and improve their health, but their busy schedules, including school, family, and work obligations, did not allow this change. Similarly, they wished they could spend more time with friends, pursue other activities, or take a few days off, but most believed they could not do these things and still maintain their high grades. They recognized that they needed to make a choice, and for them, future success was more important than present happiness.”

Such hard-driving students do well to consider what a wise man once said: “Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life? Of course not! There is nothing he can give to regain his life.” (Matthew 16:26, Today’s English Version) With those words Jesus Christ warned that the goals we may strive to reach in this world are not worth the physical, emotional, and spiritual price required to attain them.

In her book The Price of Privilege, psychologist Madeline Levine wrote of “the fact that money, education, power, prestige, and material goods offer no protection against unhappiness or emotional illness.” Pope, cited earlier, made this observation: “I see so many kids and parents striving for perfection​—according to a flawed definition of success.” And she added: “We should be striving to be healthy​—mentally and physically and spiritually.”

Some things are far more important than money. These include emotional and physical well-being, a good conscience, and friendship with our Creator. These are priceless gifts from God. If you lose them in the pursuit of fame or riches, you may never regain them. With that in mind, notice what Jesus taught: “How happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs!”​—Matthew 5:3, The New Testament in Modern English.

Many young people have come to accept that truth. While they do their best in school, they know that academic excellence and material riches do not produce lasting happiness. They recognize that the pursuit of such goals brings them unnecessary stress. Those students have learned that satisfying “their need for God” is the foundation for a truly happy future. The publishers of this magazine or Jehovah’s Witnesses in your area will be pleased to show you how to be happy as you satisfy your need for God.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 6]

No matter how strong you are, there is a limit to what you can do in a day

[Blurb on page 8]

Gaining knowledge of your Creator is the best education you can acquire

[Box/​Picture on page 5]

 PRACTICAL WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

❑ Do you spend a lot of time sorting through papers and notebooks, trying to find what you want? Some people need help to get better organized. Don’t be ashamed to ask others for suggestions.

❑ Do you procrastinate? As a test, make an effort to complete an assignment ahead of time. The relief and satisfaction you feel will surprise you and may motivate you to stop putting off your schoolwork.

❑ Do you often find yourself daydreaming during class? Try this for a month: Listen closely to the classroom discussions, and take good notes for later reference. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much easier your homework becomes. That good result will reduce your stress in school.

❑ Have you selected classes that increase the pace of your schooling but that require much more time and effort? Is it vital that you take those classes? Speak with your parents. Get the opinion of someone with a reasonable view of education. You may find that those optional courses add little to your progress toward graduation.

[Box on page 6]

AN IMAGINARY WALL OF PROTECTION

“The valuable things of the rich [man] are his strong town, and they are like a protective wall in his imagination.” (Proverbs 18:11) In ancient times, people depended on high walls for protection against attack. But think of living in a city surrounded by a wall that only existed in your mind. As hard as you tried to convince yourself otherwise, that wall would provide no defense against your enemies.

Like people living in such an exposed place, young ones who pursue riches are headed for disappointment. Are you a parent? You would do well to help your child avoid the trap of materialism and not take up life in a city with an imaginary wall.

The following Bible-based truths can help you reason with your son or daughter:

▪ Great wealth often brings far more problems than it solves. “The plenty belonging to the rich one is not permitting him to sleep.”​—Ecclesiastes 5:12; 1 Timothy 6:9, 10.

▪ With good planning, a person does not need wealth to be happy. “The plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage.”​—Proverbs 21:5; Luke 14:28.

▪ A moderate income that covers one’s needs leads to contentment. “Give me neither poverty nor riches.”​—Proverbs 30:8. *

[Footnote]

 [Pictures on page 7]

Trying to do too much is counterproductive

[Picture on page 7]

View homework NOT as a problem but as part of your job training