Do you ever feel like the boy in the photo—weighed down2 with more activities and responsibilities than you can handle? Today's kids are the most time-stressed3 generation ever. After-school hours are filled with sports, music lessons, homework, chores at home, and countless other activities.
Get Organized!
What is the answer?
“I'm not too organized most of the time,” admits Riley, 13. “I forget to write stuff down. My disorganization4 has gotten me into trouble. It's frustrating.”
Organization is the key, says Remi, 15, of Washington, D.C. She plays on two soccer teams, including an Olympic Development Team. Most days, she goes straight from school to soccer practice, and gets home around 9 p.m. “I'll do a lot of my homework on the Metro5 and the bus,” she says. “Then I'll only have an hour's worth of homework to do at home.”
Glenn Stein, a psychologist6, says that having a schedule is essential. He advises, “Write down what you need to get done. It allows you to do what you want to do.”
“I don't like doing homework, but it's better getting it done and having time to be with my friends,” says Craig Jones, 12. He arranges his schedule so homework comes first. “The reward,” says Craig, “is getting to have the free time you want.”
How to “Chunk7”
Do you still feel overwhelmed8?
Take a cue9 from Dana, 14, an actress in California. Besides studying for her regular classes, Dana has to devote time to memorizing her lines.
“Sometimes I'd get panicked10 over learning my lines and then studying for a test,” she recalls. “My mom told me, ‘Take a deep breath, then do things one by one.’” “You can't panic,” Dana adds. “You have to take it one thing at a time.”
Stein agrees. “Kids need to ‘chunk,’” he says. That means breaking down big tasks into manageable pieces. Then do a chunk every night. Chunking works better if you prioritize11. Decide what to do first, second, and so on—and stick to it.
“If you're having trouble getting your work done, you need to tell somebody.” urges Stein. A trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher, can help you make a schedule.
If you get off track12, though, don't beat yourself up13. “You will screw up14 now and then. Forgive yourself,” says Stein. “Tomorrow is another day.”
是不是觉得自己像图片里的这个男孩——被过多的事情和责任压得应付不过来？如今的孩子是时间最最紧迫的一代，课外时间排满了运动、音乐课、家庭作业、家务以及无数其它活动。
要有条理！
答案是什么？
13岁的雷利承认：“大多数时候我做事都没什么条理，我忘记把事情记下来。这样没条理总是给我带来麻烦，真是让人灰心。”
来自华盛顿特区的瑞米，15岁的她认为条理是关键。她参加了两个足球队，包括一个奥林匹克青年队。大部分日子她每天从学校直接赶去训练，晚上9点左右回家。“我会在地铁和公车上多做点儿作业，”她说，“然后回家就只有一个小时的作业要做了。”
心理学家格雷恩·斯坦认为最基本的是要订计划。他建议：“写下你需要做的事，这样你才能做自己想做的事。”
12岁的克雷格·琼斯则表示：“我不喜欢做家庭作业，但是做完作业就有时间和朋友们玩儿，这更好。”克雷格安排的时间表是家庭作业在第一位，他说：“好处嘛，就是有了你想要的空闲时间。”
懂得“分块”
仍觉得分身乏术？
学学14岁的黛娜吧，她是加州的一名演员。除了规定课程的学习，黛娜还要花时间记台词。
“有时候想到要记台词然后又要准备考试我就慌张。”黛娜回忆道，“妈妈就告诉我，‘做一下深呼吸，然后一件事一件事去做。’”她又补充道：“你不能慌，你一次只能做一件事情。”
斯坦也这样认为：“孩子们做事需要‘分块’。”即把一大堆事情分成便于处理的小块，然后每晚只做一块。如果你区分轻重缓急，分块就会更有效。想好什么先做、什么第二做……以此类推并坚持下去。
斯坦还建议：“如果你完成任务有困难，就需要找人谈一谈。”你信赖的大人，比如家长或老师可以帮助你制定一个计划。
如果你哪天落下了，可别一个劲儿怪自己。斯特因说：“人有时会把事情办砸。原谅自己，明天又是新的一天。“
1. cut yourself some slack 减压放松自己
slack n. 松弛，闲散
2. weigh down 压低, 过度忧虑
3. time-stressed 时间紧迫的
4. disorganization n. 无条理
5. Metro n. 地铁
6. psychologist n. 心理学家
7. chunk v. 组块
8. overwhelm v. 淹没；受打击
9. cue n. 榜样, 提示
10. panic v. 惊慌，恐慌
11. prioritize v. 区分优先次序
12. get off track 偏离轨道，未按计划行事
13. beat up 痛打
14. screw up 把……弄糟
15. rejuvenate v. 使恢复精神, 使恢复活力