Today’s high school students are living in a hyperconnected, information-driven world, where personal achievement and academic success are paramount. Amidst trying to juggle our extracurriculars, we are under immense pressure to learn about the world to the point that our brains often become overloaded from trying to process the sheer amount of information we are trying to absorb. 

In fact, a study from NYU shows a growing number of youth are experiencing high levels of chronic stress to the extent that it compromises their mental health and ability to succeed academically. 

So how do we harness the power of information without being overwhelmed? 

I’ve found that Mary Oliver’s “Instructions for living a life” offer a unique solution.

“1. Pay Attention.”

When facing more assignments, students just need to work harder, right? According to Oliver, perhaps not. Her first instruction challenges the traditional emphasis on work output. Instead of managing our productivity, we should be managing our attention. Why? Because that determines one’s experiences, which ultimately, shapes one’s life. That means, if we want to carpe diem…well, life—we need to protect our attention from the flood of novel stimuli from our devices. 

Recently, I’ve adopted a strategy to help me control my attention: minimalist journaling. Every night, I recall how my day was spent by asking myself: what do I want to remember about today? Journaling my “few good things” has allowed me to organize the huge input of information I get every day while gaining clarity.

“2. Be astonished.”

Filtering through the vast amount of information available requires setting priorities and a willingness to label everything else as “distractions.” This allows one to form a focused mindset in which creativity can thrive. Besides my minimalist journal, I have recently started what I call my “Book of the Curious,” an explorer’s diary in which I jot down inquiries on certain topics that spark my fascination. Through my curiosity journal, I have honed my ability to ask questions and find wonder in the seemingly mundane.

“3. Tell about it.”

Upon reflection of my own experiences, practicing attention management has trained my brain to become more skilled at seizing an opportunity for my education and personal growth. But what use is personal growth unless we use it to boost our collective potential? Writing entries in my “Book of the Curious” has made me eager to share what I’ve discovered with others. (Oh! Mom, did you know that we only get mtDNA from our mothers?) But sharing is more than just a nice effect of steps one and two; it’s essential to helping others see the world as beautiful, too.

I believe that Oliver’s philosophy offers an insightful message for our increasingly hectic lifestyles and, when utilized, can help us transform our information (or rather, attention) management plans into successful habits to live our best lives.