I'm sure everyone realizes what their situation is at some point, but the state I recently found myself in struck me as an interesting coincidence over break.

One day, I'm in school, stressing over my Latin quizzes and questions for Core. The next, I'm relaxing with my cousins in Michigan, talking, playing games and reading.

It was then I realized I was stressed because I hadn't left myself a way out.

When I was in high school, whether I had the time or not, I always had novel to read for fun, outside of class.

When I started to get stressed out or needed a break from my schoolwork, I'd let myself become part of the story and I would be absent from reality, relaxing and relieving myself of stress.

Last year, I was so busy trying to keep up my grades and stay sane that I had no real free time to read, although I think I managed some reading time.

As a result, I had a lot of stress and no way to rid myself of it.

I decided that this year, as a sophomore, no matter how much work I had to do or how much time I had to do it, I would take time out of my schedule to make sure I could relax — namely, curl up in a good book.

That is a hard promise for me to keep because I am very busy and my homework does come first.

I managed to start a book but couldn't get very far into it without stopping to be in reality.

Over break, I brought the book with me and had time to get involved in it; I let myself be a part of it as it became part of me.

I finished it shortly after break, becoming enveloped in the story and rapt within the characters as if I was living their lives with them.

Each time I finished reading, I had a lot of energy, which I tried to use to get the rest of my work done.

Imagine your favorite thing to do.

For some people it is to play video or computer games.

For others, it is to be physically active. And others like to sit or lay down and do something quietly.

Take that thing you most like to do and think of how you are when you do that activity and how you feel afterwards.

Some of you might not feel anything of great significance, while others of you feel relaxed, excited, tense or any other sort of emotion.

Hopefully it creates positive energy in you. That's one reason, for example, it's said that physical activity gives you energy.

That positive energy is your way out, a way of relaxing by doing something you like to do and not having worrying about anything else.

If there's one thing I've learned so far about life, it's that stress will only leave you with headaches and will trap you unless you leave yourself a way out.

This year I have found ways out: fencing, reading. You might not think you have time do one more thing, but you do. Always leave yourself a way out.

The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

• No Way Out