“You know what I’ve had…” says Hale, a senior at Leonardtown “it.” The collective body of the left side of Mr. Guffy’s 5th period class room, replies with confused head cocks and a “what” is uttered from a few mouths. “I’VE HAD IT.” she repeats again. A mantra for the month of March. School is stressful; we’re hearing back from colleges, our life and relationships are crumbling around us. So what do we do?

Well first, if you’re not a senior, don’t bother seniors about their stress, and also don’t say, “I feel.” You don’t, you might also be stressed to the brim, but please try to remain concerned. The exception to this is if you are a junior doing Capstone.

Second, if you are a senior, take a moment to breathe; you are not alone. To quote Michael, another senior at Leonardtown, “I feel very sad, and I try and cherish every single moment.” Isn’t that how you feel too? If that’s not how you feel then maybe this one about college, from senior Michael applies to you; “I’m ecstatic that I don’t have to deal with these (garden) hoes.” Is that how you feel too? Hooray, welcome to the clan.

Third, tell people your problems. Tell close friends and tell trusted adults. That sounds cheesy, but all of us know there are teachers and administrators who go above and beyond to help, and listen to their students. Adults have real life experience and are here to get you through this.

Fourth, cry. Yes I said it; yell, cry, angry dance, punch a pillow and pretend it’s the face of that person who you’d really like to punch. Don’t hold in your emotions; that just makes life a whole lot worse.

Fifth, set aside some time to let things go. Now is not the time to take on extra work, or to hold on to people who bring you down. If something is too much, ask for help, and if you can’t handle the work you have, don’t add more to your plate. And, if people are treating you poorly, they don’t deserve you, because you are fabulous. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. To quote senior Jason Ferris, “Sometimes you just need to cut them loose.”

Sixth, see Mrs. Hager and tell her the word “toothpick” to get a secret, you-read-the-Imprint-go-you prize. No joke, seriously.

And seventh, it will be okay. Love your life. I understand, I get it, life can get you down. If you are stressed, it matters, and there are people around you to help. You can be that helping hand for others as well. Be a support system when you are feeling positive. And lastly stay positive. Okay, that’s it, you know what I’ve had- (Say it with me folks…) IT.