Can't focus?
The 60-second reset
- Close every tab except one.
- Set a timer for 60 seconds and just breathe.
- When it buzzes, do the very first step of the task — nothing else.
⏱ 1 min
⚡ Stress hacks
Pick one. Do it now.
Each of these takes under five minutes. Not sure which one? Take the stress check and we'll choose for you.
Every stress hack
Too much homework?
The ridiculously easy goal
- Pick the smallest possible action: open the doc, write one word, read one question.
- Do only that.
- If momentum shows up, keep going. If not, that still counts.
⏱ 2 min
Brain won't shut up?
Do a brain dump
- Write down everything on your mind. No order, no spelling rules.
- Circle the things you can actually do something about today.
- Pick one and write the next step next to it.
⏱ 5 min
Heart racing?
Long-exhale breathing
- Inhale through your nose for 4.
- Exhale slowly for 6–8.
- Repeat 8 times, one hand on your stomach.
⏱ 2 min
Everything is annoying you?
5-minute physical reset
- Shake out your arms and hands for 30 seconds.
- Stretch, roll your shoulders, or walk once around the block.
- Come back and drink water before restarting.
⏱ 5 min
Exhausted?
Protect tonight's sleep
- Choose a hard stop time for schoolwork tonight.
- Lay out tomorrow's outfit, bag and lunch now.
- Put the phone across the room and dim the lights.
⏱ 10 min
Totally overwhelmed?
Lay on the floor for 5 minutes
- No phone.
- No music.
- Just exist until the timer goes off.
⏱ 5 min
Need to disappear for a minute?
One song on repeat
- Pick one song you already know by heart.
- Loop it while you work or while you sit still.
- Stop after three plays.
⏱ 3 min
Stuck in the same spot?
Change your location
- Move one task to a different chair, the floor, the kitchen or outside.
- Bring only what that task needs.
- Work until that one task is done.
⏱ 2 min
Panicking right now?
Ground yourself + step outside
- Step outside, or open a window and feel the air.
- Breathe out slowly, twice as long as you breathe in.
- Name five things you can see and two you can hear.
⏱ 1 min
Habits that make stress smaller over time
Slower than a hack, but they lower the baseline.
🔋 One minimum-effort day a week
Ask what the smallest useful thing you can do today is, do that, and let the rest wait. It breaks the all-or-nothing cycle that leads to burnout.
🧩 Split your room into a work zone and a rest zone
Your brain links places with states. Keep homework at a desk or table, and keep your bed for resting.
✅ Give schoolwork a head start so you can sleep
Plan the week on your phone calendar, start assignments you already know about, and lay out your outfit, lunch and bag the night before.
✍️ Journaling in three formats
Brain dump (everything on your mind), problem–solution (write the problem, then options), or emotion labelling (“I feel anxious because…”).
🫁 Breathing that changes your body, not just your mind
Box breathing (in 4, hold 4, out 4), long-exhale breathing (in 4, out 6–8), or one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
🏃♀️ Movement to process stress physically
Stretching or yoga, a quick 5–10 minute workout, shaking out your arms and hands, or a long shower to wind down.
Weird but effective
Try one when nothing else is working.
💪 Body-based
- Walk once around the block, even slowly.
- Stretch your arms and shoulders for 60 seconds.
- Take a long shower and let your brain go quiet.
🎭 Behaviour tricks
- Set a ridiculously easy goal, like writing one word.
- Change your outfit completely, even at home — it signals a reset.
- Pretend the library is watching you work, then actually work.
🌸 Sensory & environment
- Chew gum or eat something crunchy.
- Listen to one song on repeat — predictability is soothing.
- Turn off the overhead lights and use one lamp.
A note of caution: some of these look unusual in public, so pick your moment.