Am i putting too much stress on myself for my age?

Question

Ok- I am 16 years old; and i am a highschool student. I go to school at 7am, and get out of school at 3pm. I work as a receptionist in an urgent care center from 4pm to 12am on weekdays; and then on the weekends I waitress in a hotel resort- sometimes i help clean rooms or do other odd jobs. I am sooo busy with work and trying to keep up with school, and i think i am getting overwhelmed. I hardly have time to sleep and i end up missing out on social events. I cant just quit- because i have alot of financial obligations already. I have to make car payments, i am sponsoring a child in egypt, and my mother was single while i was growing up and she never had time to set aside a college fund for me-now i have to make that up by the end of next year. There are just so many other things that i have to pay for quitting is just not an option. I was really sick today; and i was worried about missing so much and i just got to thinking- Is it normal to feel this stressed allllllll the time?!?!

Is anyone else going through this? Is there something that i can do?

I know that some people working office jobs only work 9-5 and they hate their lives. I leave at 7am and don't get back until midnight! Will this have some kind of a long lasting effect on me?!?! As of now i dont hate my job (though i am stressed) and i am still a good humored person (not a grouch) but i fear someday i may be if i continue to stress myself out so much. I CANNOT QUIT!!! I need suggestions other than that please!

Answer 1

Oh, Honey! You are shouldering a load that would kill most adults! I'm surprised you have time to remember to breathe!! The stress you are feeling is perfectly normal for the amount of work, etc. you are doing ... but the amount of work, schooling, etc. you are doing is not normal!! You are going to school full-time, and working full-time, plus an extra part-time job! The miracle is that you aren't in a hospital yet!

I admire you for what you are doing, and for what you are attempting to accomplish.

To ease the burden of paying for your college education, check with your school counselor about applying for numerous grants and scholarships. (I'm going to do some online research, and I'll get back here later with my findings.)

Check with your bosses about taking a week or so off, if possible ... even a day now and then would help! You really need a breather ... I'd hate to see you burn out before you even make it through the door at college!

You are a real inspiration, and a great answer to those who question the willingness of today's younger generation to work hard and to contribute to society.

Answer 2

You need to slow down, dear! You'll burn yourself out by your 20th birthday like that. You can work while in college and live at home (I did), so you don't have to save your entire tuition before you begin school. And don't forget, there is such a thing as a student loan. The kid in Egypt, I'm afraid to say, can wait till after you graduate college and get a real job. Leave him for the retired folks and financially stable Christians out there. If you want to help people, take care of those closer to home by doing volunteer work at a homeless shelter a few days a month. And don't work past 9:00 on school nights, in many states that is the law. Spend your time doing schoolwork, or you may not even get to college...

Answer 3

Your one responsible young woman. Just remember its good to push yourself to do the best that you can, but once you start sacrificing quantity for quality it has gone too far. Working hard like you are should make you feel proud and if I were you I would keep it up. Just remember the more you put in the more you get out. Just don't let your grades slip, and remember to take care of yourself.

To help your stress try changing your mindset. Instead of thinking about how hard you are working and all the money you have to make and all the obligations you have to meet, think of the future, what it holds, and all the goals that you are working towards. Sometimes your state of mind can change the outlook of everything. So count down the days until college and chart out your financial goals and shoot for certain grades and plan ahead b/c once you do these things you will see how much progress you are making and it will make you feel better about your life!

Answer 4

I do think it's really overwhealming for your age. If you are concerned about college, you can always get financial aid. It's free money from the government and you don't have to pay it back. I'm sure you'll qualify for it since your mom is single. Talk to your advisor at school and ask her for other options about how to finance college. My parents never gave me a college fund, and i got a student loan which i won't start paying back until i graduate and find a job. Just remember, think about the things that you can afford and the things that you cannot afford. If you r paying for a car, have u thought about getting a more affordable car? sponsoring a kid is not cheap, so you might want to put that off until you graduate from high school. Just analyze what things you really need and what things you really dont and get rid of the things that you don't need. That will make things easy for you. And remember, school is more important. good luck!

Answer 5

Take a deep breath. Look at your priorites... College, car, and child, right? Oh, and one big one: YOURSELF. You need to make sure that your own well being comes first and foremost. There are plenty of scholarships available for students. Trust me, I didn't have a lot either, and I'm going to school for free. Talk about it with your guidance conselor. Try to cut back your working hours to at least ten oclock. Then you should get some decent sleep. I think it's wonderful that you're helping out a child, but don't do it alone. Raise awareness in your school; maybe some people will chip in. Try to breath once in a while!!! I know how hard it can be; I'm going to college full time, as well as working and being a full time mom. But it's important to ask for help. If there's anything I can do, let me know. I'll do my best!!

Answer 6

How can you have so many financial obligations when you're sixteen? That's crazy. If you can't afford a car, sell it. Take the bus. If you don't have enough money to go to college next year, spend a year or two living at home and working full time to save for it. Of course you're overwhelmed. You don't have a life. When you're old and you look back on your life, do you want to remember that you worked like a dog all the time, or do you want to have happy memories of a balanced life?

Answer 7

Honey alright I don't know what state that you live in but in Michigan they have laws that state that if you are in school at your age and working that they can't let you work after 11:00p.m. during the week. Honey you have your plate so full that I don't know how you ever have time to get your school work done. As for your college fund don't worry. Go to your school counselor and talk to her or him about financial aid. There are pell grants that you may be eligible for that you don't have to pay back. If your mom makes to much money for you to qualify for then there are always student loans that you don't start to pay back until six months after you graduate from college. I am worried about you mental health though. You are definately working to many hours for a sixteen year old kid to work. I am concerned with that and you can't be getting much sleep at night if you get off at midnight and then have to return at 7 am. Honey whether you have bills to pay or not you need your sleep and you need to concentrate on your school work. It is very important that you get good grades because there are schlorship programs out there that you may be able to qualify for if your grades are up there. Somehow or another you or going to have to slow down or you are going to stress yourself out so bad that you won't be able to do anything. Do yourself a favor and cut back on the hours whether you think that you are able to or not otherwise you are going to burn yourself right out. Good Luck and slow down please or you won't have time to do anything other than work and I feel that you should be going to school dances and stuff like that.

Answer 8

Forget the kid in Egypt for a little while. Tell them you will help later. You are still a kid yourself! So be one! Work only on the weekends for your car note.....let all other bills go. Have fun in school. I worked in the college for college tuition and never paid a dime! Good luck, chill and have fun! You're only 16-18 once!

Answer 9

Welcome to the adult world! Give up the new car note and buy used so it's paid for, just keep the insurance paid so it's covered. "16" you do not need to sponsor any child, you are a child = Sponsor Yourself & Your Needs First! This will allocate funds for your education and eleviate some of your everday stress.

Answer 10

You have too much on your plate. Check into getting a scholarship, grant or student loan to help you through college.
If you get sick, you lose. So drop one of the jobs for now.