Amid foliage and autumn breezes, students are finally fully settling into the school year. If you are like me, you make new promises to yourself every year: goals about grades, procrastination, or keeping your room clean. But if you are already feeling completely exhausted, you are not alone. High school students are notorious for being perpetually tired—but what can we actually do about it?

Sleep hygiene feels like a lost art; it’s not only about how much sleep you get, but also about going to sleep and waking up at similar times each day. Even though this advice is nothing new to teenagers, the benefits are undeniable. Studies find that good sleep hygiene leads to better mood, focus, and energy. On top of this, you can even achieve better long-term health and immune strength to avoid those persistent winter colds. 

School is only a maximum of 5 days a week—take advantage of those days off! Even though my earlier point would discourage sleeping in too late, there are many ways to relax and recharge in whichever way will push you through the coming week of school. Whether this is going out with friends, binging your current show, or crossing things off of your to-do list, it’s important to prioritize recharging on weekends and the occasional days off. 

Lastly, if you are feeling overwhelmed by your schoolwork, my number one piece of advice is to communicate with your teachers. All teachers want to see is that you are trying and care about their class, so anything from emailing to stopping in during lunch can open up opportunities to improve your grade. 

School, however rewarding it can be, has gotten the best of every one of us at some point. But it’s important to recognize the source of our exhaustion so we can remedy it.