We should all sympathize with high school seniors right now.

Besides juggling all of the traditional teenage stuff, they’re being asked to write the most important essay of their life.

And it isn’t just one essay. Depending on the colleges a student is applying to, it could easily be double-digit essays.

There’s tons of advice out there.

Here are some suggestions:

• Do something else creative. Cook, draw, paint, sing, play music. The hope is that by engaging in another creative activity your mind will open up and be less judgmental.

• Do something physical. Get centered with yoga, run, take a Zumba class. Take deep breaths and approach the assignment with more positive thoughts.

• Find a better writing space. Remove distractions by going to a library.

• Try a different time of day. If you’ve tried writing every night after dinner and you’re coming up empty, head to bed early and wake up early to try.

• Assign yourself a free-writing exercise. Just write without any critique about anything that is important to you. “Why do you love to ...?”

• Talk it out. Pick someone who knows you really well. It’s not necessary for this person to be a parent. Have them ask you questions that would help someone else get to know you better.

• Think small. Colleges don’t expect you to have saved the world from Ebola, they’re just trying to learn what you care about and whether you’ll be a good fit for their campus. You can talk about something as simple as a car ride you had with your younger sibling.

• Remember to allow time for the essay topic to marinate; in other words, don’t wait until the last minute. Write, rest, rewrite are wise words. Take some time between the first draft and the first edit.

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte, N.C.