Reminiscing back to early September, it was nerve-racking just stepping inside the classroom filled with a crowd of strangers. The gap between seventh grade and eighth grade is immense emotionally and physically. It took a while becoming used to the schedule and switching classes every one and a half hours; managing to be on time was an additional struggle. An approach I took to manage my stress throughout this process was taking a short break to relax my body. Whenever we are stressed, our muscles become tense. It is a sign that loosening up a bit is appropriate. On the other hand, some individuals prefer opening up to their friends for an instant. Depending on the situation, I would frequently talk to my peers surrounding me or take a
