Create Healthy Habits for a Successful School Year

CHS Staff and students sound off on how they keep their busy lives in check.

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Buckling up for the second quarter to begin

Ellie Evans, Section Editor

As the beginning of the school year comes to an end and the door to first quarter closes at Chardon High School, students continue searching for the best ways to stay on the path to prosperity until Christmas break. With straight-A report cards on their minds, students attempt to foster healthy habits surrounding time management and stress early on to get ahead before pressure strikes. But many of them wonder where to begin, questioning the importance of these habits in the long run. Getting into good habits early on helps us keep structure in our lives and chaos out of it. 

According to a study in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes about 66 days for a new habit to turn automatic―in other words, it takes just over 2 months of performing a task on a regular basis for it to become routine. From the very first day of school, one of the most important things to do is to remember to stay consistent―do homework, get plenty of sleep, stay healthy, and don’t procrastinate.

“Set goals: write them down, post them everywhere, and try to follow them as best as you can,” said CHS Principal Douglas Murray to all students looking for advice. “Try not to get behind on homework and projects―stay on top of things. Learn about work ethic and managing time.” Murray said that in order to accomplish goals, it is important to have a support system, get involved as much as possible, and take care of your overall health. 

Learning how to create a schedule fitting to your daily life allows you to get into a healthy regimen.

“Without good habits, you start to drown in school and work and whatever other activities you’re involved in,”CHS Senior Class Officer Karlie Pirnat. She also said that having bad habits makes life “ten times worse,” and suggests keeping a planner to help keep track of a constantly crazy schedule. Our good habits follow us through life and can impact our futures positively. 

CHS History Teacher Ron Cole also offered advice on managing life when it’s at its most difficult.

 “I am busy,” said Cole, “[but] one of the most important habits I consider essential to maintaining my busy lifestyle is setting priorities—picking out what’s most important to you helps you focus on mainly those things.” Cole said that it is very difficult to break habits once they develop, so it is important to have good ones from the start. Murray said that creating and maintaining a routine for success will create happiness, which is “the ultimate goal” in his words. “Happiness is the culmination of many things that make you feel good about yourself,” said Murray. 

There are many resources here at school―like guidance counselors and trusted teachers―that can help students fix their bad habits and get into the swing of things.