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How to Manage Stress During the School Year

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How to Manage Stress During the School Year

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This article is about ways to deal with your school anxiety short-term and long-term. It includes short-term methods such as deep belly breathing and long-term methods such as finding trusted listeners. I chose this article because it also includes methods for parents who are struggling with work and family responsibilities.

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We all experience occasional stress - and some people more than others. Stress is our body's way of handling demands that may cause a physical, emotional, or psychological reaction.

However, when stress is not managed or starts to overwhelm your life, it can lead to more serious issues like anxiety and depression. This is something many students, parents, and teachers are thinking about as we get closer to the start of this school year.

"We know that anxiety and depression levels have gone up dramatically for both adults and children over the last year and a half, and stressors will only increase these numbers if they are not managed with coping tools and self-care, and possibly even professional care," says Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell Medical College and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.

Stress, anxiety, and depression impair functioning, keeping children from learning and adults from functioning in their jobs. That's why Saltz says students and adults must be taught to recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and work on developing tools to combat stressors.

This article provides coping strategies for dealing with stress for students, parents, teachers, and other school employees as we prepare for this school year during an ever-changing pandemic.

Stress management and coping skills are critical for parents, students, and teachers to thrive during any school year, especially in the upcoming academic year, when COVID-19 is still a concern.

"Kids and teens have been exposed to a far different environment of study and socialization, with many losing interest in academics and reporting a waning in attention span and ability to concentrate for long periods of time," says Julia Turovsky, PhD, clinical psychologist, anxiety expert, and founder of QuietMindCBT.

More specifically, many students spent the last year studying and working for shorter durations and in different environments. Turovsky points out that students may also have lost socialization skills due to a lack of access to other kids, especially in groups.

"Students, teachers, and even parents have described having a 'social battery' that is more easily depleted, meaning they get overstimulated and tired from socializing with both individuals and in groups, and need to return home to rest and recharge," she says. This can lead to high levels of stress for all ages.

However, planning for these changes can prepare everyone for a smoother transition when school starts. Developing stress-management skills can ensure that students, parents, and teachers have the tools they need for a successful and productive 2021-2022 school year.

Students will face all types of stressors throughout the school year. Being equipped with tools to help manage the effects is critical to success. Here are some coping strategies:

Practice deep belly breathing

You can practice deep breathing between classes, at lunch, or before and after school.

1. Sit comfortably, with both feet on floor, and place one hand on your abdomen. Make sure your muscles are relaxed.

2. Breathe deeply through your nose until your abdomen rises.

3. Hold this breath for 5 seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth like you're blowing through a straw.

4. Repeat this pattern for 3 to 5 minutes.

Try progressive muscle relaxation

The American Psychological Association recommends progressive muscle relaxation to combat stress and reduce anxiety.

1. Get in a comfortable position, ideally lying down.

2. Start by tensing your lower leg muscles.

3. While contracting these muscles, breathe in for 5 to 10 seconds, then exhale and release the contraction.

4. Stay in this relaxed position for 10 seconds.

5. Move your way up your body, contracting different muscle groups while breathing in and out, holding for 5 to 10 seconds with each breath, and then relaxing for 10 seconds before moving to the next muscle group.

Participate in regular physical activities

Participating in daily activity through exercise or sports can help reduce the effects of stress. Encourage your child to join a sport or activity, or exercise as a family in the evenings.

Recognize and accept all emotions

Turovsky says kids and teens need to understand that coping skills do not mean that all negative emotions, such as feeling unhappy, irritated, frustrated, deflated, or anxious, will be eliminated. Instead, coping skills should allow them to recognize these emotions, label and validate them, and engage in behaviors to ease them.

Learn to communicate struggles

Turovsky says students should be encouraged by parents and teachers to share when they are tired, distracted, or overwhelmed.

Specific coping skills may be different for everyone, but Turovsky says that for most of us, they may include sharing these difficult emotions with people we love and trust.

Find a few trusted listeners

It's also important that students have someone who will listen to them in an attentive and nonjudgmental way.

Students of all ages should find at least two adults they trust and have access to most of the time. This could include a school employee, family friend, family member, community support person, or mental health professional.

Have your child write the names and contact information down on a card to put in their backpack or phone.

By now, many parents are experts at change and dealing with anything that comes their way. That said, managing a family, work, and school takes its toll, and countless parents and caregivers are already dealing with a high level of stress. Here are ways for parents to manage stress this school year.

Take a meditation break

Even a 5-minute meditation break - in the school pick-up line, before leaving for work or before going to bed - can help reduce stress and clear your mind, according to a 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis. You can also use this time to practice deep belly breathing to further reduce stress.

1. To start a meditation practice, make sure you're in a quiet place.

2. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and focus on the present moment.

3. If your thoughts stray - to events that happened yesterday, to your to-do list, or to anything other than the present - acknowledge them, but then let them go, and bring the attention back to the present moment.

The more you practice mindfulness meditation, the easier it gets to keep your thoughts from spinning out of control.

Practice daily self-care

Parents are often the first group of people to put self-care at the bottom of their to-do list. But Turovsky says self-care is more important than ever. "Eating well, drinking lots of water, getting exercise and rest, and plenty of alone time will go a long way in preventing overstimulation and irritability," she says.

Minimize your media consumption

Taking breaks from watching or reading the news and social media can help reduce stress. Consider limiting the amount of recreational (nonwork-related) time you spend online, or restrict it to 1 hour a day at a prescheduled time.

Surround yourself with supportive people

Social support is critical when managing stress. Finding people you trust - whether friends, family members, or coworkers - can help you mitigate the adverse effects of stress.

Set aside time each week to meet with a friend. If possible, use this time to exercise, since physical activity also decreases stress. Agree to walk together a few times a week or go for a bike ride.

In addition to the strategies listed for students and parents, here are additional ways teachers and other school employees can cope with stress.

Acknowledge your feelings

Like students, Turovsky says teachers and other school employees need to acknowledge that they may be dealing with burnout. When this happens, the best thing you can do is treat yourself with compassion.

"Practicing self-compassion includes recognizing your distress cues and negative emotions and validating them, rather than being self-critical," says Turovsky.

Ask for support from your administrators

"The stress of burnout specifically is affecting many school workers, and this requires their place of work to reduce workload, to limit work hours, to permit hours after-work where they are truly off, and to create a safe workspace," says Saltz.

Teachers and other school employees, she says, should also know that their workplace will support and guide them toward help with mental health issues if they are struggling.

Take a breath break

You can practice deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation - both discussed above - between classes, at lunch, or before and after school.

Practice daily self-care

Ways to managing stress during the school year include:

Here are some tips to make these goals a reality:

Consider using Sunday to plan your meals and exercise for the week.

Keep a spare gym bag in your car in case you have time to take a walk during lunch or after school.

Stock your refrigerator with precut vegetables and fruit for grab-and-go snacks.

Go to bed at a reasonable and consistent time each night.

If handling anxiety and stress on your own isn't working, it may be time to seek professional help.

"Parents need to know the signs to look for, so that they know when it's time to bring their child to a professional for an evaluation and possibly treatment," says Saltz.

They also need to communicate with educators when they think their child needs more help, attention, tools, and support.

Additionally, says Saltz, parents need to know when they may need extra help. "It's hard to help your child with anxiety if you yourself have an anxiety disorder," she says.

Here are common signs of stress:

feelings of irritation and anger

lack of motivation

feeling overwhelmed

nervousness or anxiousness

trouble sleeping

sadness or depression

trouble concentrating

worsening of chronic health problems or mental health conditions

changes in appetite

increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances

headaches, body pains, and stomach or digestive issues

It's normal to experience temporary stress. But if you or your child are experiencing extended periods of stress symptoms, it may be a sign that stress is not being properly managed.

Start with your doctor or your child's doctor. They may want to check for physical signs of stress or other health conditions. Ask about a referral to a counselor or therapist. Here are some resources that may help:

We all deal with stress. But knowing how to identify and manage it can help reduce the negative effects and keep you and your child healthy throughout the school year. By taking time for self-care, eating right, exercising, practicing deep breathing, reaching out to friends and family, and asking for help, you can get a handle on daily stressors.

If these interventions are not working and you feel like your stress or your child's stress levels are getting too high, it's time to call a doctor. They can help determine if a referral to a mental healthcare professional is needed.

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How to Manage Stress During the School Year

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We all experience occasional stress - and some people more than others. Stress is our body's way of handling demands that may cause a physical, emotional, or psychological reaction. However, when stress is not managed or starts to overwhelm your life, it can lead to more serious issues like anxiety and depression.

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This article is about different methods of dealing with perfectionism throughout life, similar to the video about dealing with perfectionism and the anxiety it causes. I chose this article because it lists a few other methods of dealing with perfectionism, including making a checklist and identifying triggers.

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Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work. On the other hand, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and slow you down. How can you harness the positives of your perfectionism while mitigating the negatives? What measures or practices can you use to keep your perfectionism in check? Should you enlist the help of others?

What the Experts Say
"A lot of perfectionistic tendencies are rooted in fear and insecurity," says Matt Plummer, founder of Zarvana, the online coaching service that helps workers become more productive. "Many perfectionists worry that if they let go of their [meticulousness and conscientiousness], it will hurt their performance and standing." And so they cling to their perfectionism even when it's counterproductive. If this describes you, take heart. Reining in your perfectionistic propensities is not as hard as it sounds. "It's about rechanneling a strength of yours rather than aiming for a lower goal." Your aim is to take "some of the pressure off yourself," says Alice Boyes, a former clinical psychologist and author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit and The Anxiety Toolkit. Of course that's easier said than done. But the fact remains, "if you genuinely want to be a high achiever, you're bound to do some things imperfectly." Here are some ideas of how to let go of your penchant for perfectionism.

See the big picture
As any perfectionist will tell you, being perfect isn't easy. Your diligence "takes a lot of effort," and your attention to detail is "incredibly time-consuming," says Plummer. Of course, as a perfectionist you're never going to aim for merely adequate - nor should you. But you must also " recognize the opportunity cost and time" of your behavior. "Ask yourself: Am I using my time wisely? Am I being productive?" He recommends focusing on "maximizing the impact" of your work. "You can spend an extra three hours making a presentation perfect, but does that improve the impact for the client or your organization?" Boyes concurs. "Shift your mindset," she says. You're going to be "less perfect about some things, so you can concentrate on what's important." If you're continuing to tinker on an assignment that most others would consider complete, try to " recognize that just getting it done " is a decent goal. "There's a point of diminishing returns" when it comes to sweating the small stuff and nitpicking niggling details.

Adjust your standards
Managing your perfectionism also requires you to "calibrate your standards," says Plummer. Say, for example, you're grinding out an important memo for your organization. He suggests showing your efforts to a colleague or supervisor early in the process. You may discover it's "already good enough" and "that task you thought could take 10 hours could really take only five." Don't be shy or embarrassed. "It's your first draft," says Boyes. And even if you need to continue to work on it, the "feedback you receive will help you improve." Keep in mind, too, that this memo needn't be worthy of a Pulitzer. "What you're saying doesn't have to be the final word, it just has to contribute something useful."

Create a checklist
The pursuit of perfection is a bit like wandering on an aimless journey, says Plummer. "You keep walking and walking, but you're not sure that you're getting any closer to your destination," he says. Similarly, "a perfectionist is always going to want to keep working [on a given assignment.] But the end result is rarely satisfying." So, rather than toil "in search of this amorphous goal of perfection," he recommends, "creating a checklist" for each task. Say, for instance, you're working on an important client pitch. The perfectionist in you might fret over the font choice and sweat every semi-colon. But with a checklist that reminds you to confirm you've spelled things correctly and to eliminate basic editing errors, you needn't endlessly slog. "You're following a process with discrete and measurable goals," he says. Once you've ticked off the items on your list, "you're done."

Break the cycle of rumination
Many perfectionists have a proclivity to ruminate - repetitively mulling over a thought or problem without ever coming to a resolution. "It's related to anxiety," says Boyes. People who ruminate tend to be "less forgiving of themselves." It's unhealthy, and it's unproductive. "Don't confuse ruminating with problem-solving." Instead look for ways to disrupt the cycle.

Identify your triggers. The first step in conquering this habit is to "learn to recognize when you're ruminating," says Boyes. Figure out what sets you off. Make note of the situation: where you are, the time of day, and who's around. "Find your consistent patterns," then think about ways you might steer clear of or control those factors.

Don't trust your first reaction. If you're dwelling on a past event, such as an interaction with a colleague, be cautious. You might not have an accurate read of the situation, says Boyes. When you ruminate, "you tend to focus on all the bad things," she says. "So you can't trust what your ruminating mind is telling you." Try hard to get perspective and give yourself time and distance before taking action. You might be "blowing it out of proportion."

Seek a diversion. "Distractions are useful," says Boyes. "Do something that is cognitively absorbing but that's also tedious and doesn't induce anxiety, such as filling out an expense report." Often spending just 10 minutes on a mundane but practical task like that "breaks the chain" and keeps you from "spinning your wheels."

Think positive. Ruminating often leads to "avoidance" of certain tasks, notes Boyes. "There's a feeling of, 'If I can't do it perfectly I won't bother,'" she says. To combat this idea, she recommends reflecting on times in your past when you tried something new. "Think about the successes you've had," she says. By reminding yourself of the pathways that led to your accomplishments, you'll be able to see that you achieved a meaningful outcome despite not being "100% certain of success" in advance. This helps you "learn from your experiences," she says.

Get perspective
You may find it "helpful to talk to someone about your tendencies," says Boyes. That person could be "a boss who's willing to engage with you emotionally, a friend, sibling, mentor, or spouse." Be honest and open. Tell this person that you're working on getting better. "Say, 'I give you permission to let me know if I'm being too fussy/high maintenance/finicky'" about a given topic. Make it clear that you want to hear how you come across. "Say, 'I may get defensive, but I promise to think about what you say.'" And be sure to make good on that pledge.

Monitor your progress
As you're working on moderating your perfectionist tendencies, Boyes recommends undertaking "a weekly review" in which you reflect on your progress. Try to get some "psychological distance" and ask yourself, "Was there anything I avoided this week due to fear of making mistakes? Were there any instances where my perfectionism was not worth it? Were there any times this week when I took action, even when I felt uncertain, and ended up moving things forward?" Your objective, says Plummer, is to "learn where perfectionism has a positive impact and where it does not." Remember, you're not fundamentally "changing course"; rather, you're, "redirecting your personality."
Principles to Remember Do

Learn to recognize the point of diminishing returns when you're aiming to complete a task perfectly. Sometimes just getting it done is a worthy goal.

Reflect on your progress. Identify examples of when you successfully moderated your perfectionist tendencies.

Calibrate your standards. Oftentimes what you're writing or saying doesn't have to be the final word, it just has to contribute something useful.

Don't

Mistake ruminating for problem solving. When your mind is twisting and turning, seek out distractions to break the cycle.

Toil in pursuit of an amorphous goal of perfection. Create a checklist that ensures you follow a process with measurable targets.

Go it alone. Ask others - a trusted colleague, friend, or mentor - for perspective and support.

Case Study #1: Shift your mindset and get comfortable with imperfection
In the past, Stacy Caprio's perfectionism led her to avoid certain tasks. "I never wanted to start something unless I knew exactly how to do it," she says. "It was a roadblock. It literally stopped me from doing new things."

Earlier in her career, she worked for an online marketing agency. One of her tasks was to add tracking tags to client websites, which would allow her organization to gather more information about their customers' revenue and sales.

Stacy had never added a tag before and was petrified of doing it wrong. "I wanted my work to be good, and I wanted to be seen as doing a good job," she says. "I didn't want to mess up."

Instead of trying and risking imperfection, Stacy busied herself with email, building ad sets, and working on other marketing campaigns.

Her avoidance of the task didn't keep her from ruminating on it, though. "I thought about it constantly," she says. "Every time I have something new to do, it doesn't go away for me. It was at the top of my to-do list."

Still, she couldn't force herself to try. She realized a shift in mindset was in order. "To get this in check, I needed to make it clear to myself that getting it done was more important than making it perfect."

The turning point came when she happened upon a series of blogs by published authors. "Writers talked about that first step of getting a draft on paper," she says. "The first draft is usually terrible. But then they go back and edit and rework it."

Learning more about the writing process helped her gain perspective on her situation. "I had to give myself permission to know that the first one was not going to be great; it might not even work," she says. "But I will get better."

Eventually, she plucked up her courage and took a shot. Her first one was fine; her second one was an improvement. Her third attempt was great.

Today Stacy is her own boss. She runs a website devoted to inspiring side hustles, her.ceo. She has learned many lessons about battling her perfectionist demons. "Just because I think something is perfect doesn't mean it is," she says. "I likely need feedback from others, especially customers, so that I can change the product over time to keep making it better."

Case Study #2: Seek support and perspective and focus on the big picture
Flame Schoeder, a professional certified coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, admits she is a "recovering perfectionist." While her perfectionism has helped her excel professionally, it has also contributed to feelings of insecurity.

Earlier in her career, for instance, she noticed that she sometimes had the tendency to "freeze up" when talking to clients. "I'd get so in my head," she says. "I'd have something to say and then I'd think, 'That's not a smart enough or insightful enough comment,' and so I wouldn't say it."

A similar thing happened when she had a big client proposal to write. Beginning the project was hard because she "had a ton of self-doubt."

The solution: "I realized that all I needed to do was ask for help," she says.

Flame discovered that reaching out to a friend or colleague and "talking through ideas" helps her see that she does indeed have something to offer. Now she does this every time she's having difficulty getting a project under way. "It needs to be someone who knows that I am a perfectionist and knows that I get stuck," she says. "They give me the solid ground and the creative energy to start moving."

Colleagues also give her perspective on her work. Recently, she was working with a team on a marketing pitch for a restaurant brand. The pitch was for a new client, so "there was some uncertainty" about what this client would like or dislike.

Flame and another colleague - a fellow perfectionist - hemmed and hawed over the proposal. "Perfectionists tend to focus on what needs to be fixed and we negate everything that's good," she says. "The two of us went over and over the details and reworked things."

Finally, Flame asked her colleague a critical question: Is this pitch good enough for the client? "And we both had an 'ah-ha moment' that it was," she says.

They submitted the pitch, and the client loved it. "The client never saw that anything was missing," she says. "They saw the creativity, the polish, and the finesse."

This approval was a powerful signal to Flame. "I try to remind myself that I am not dealing with life-or-death situations. It's just marketing."

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Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work. On the other, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and sometimes annoy your colleagues. How can you harness the positives of your perfectionism while mitigating the negatives?

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How to Beat Test Anxiety and Take on Exams Without Stress

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How to Beat Test Anxiety and Take on Exams Without Stress

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This video talks about ways to deal with performance anxiety to avoid "choking" on a test or exam. It discusses ways to familiarize yourself with tests, prepare yourself, and gain confidence. I like that the video mentions how retaining information isn't everything, and stress can have a big impact on your test results. I chose this video because I find myself worrying about tests and test results quite often, and I struggle with the anxiety it produces. It is always good to remember that dealing with emotions is as important as studying. It is a good idea to have several dependable methods of dealing with your anxiety and stress, or your emotions could overwhelm you.

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How to Beat Test Anxiety and Take on Exams Without Stress

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How to Overcome Perfectionism (and the Anxiety it Causes)

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How to Overcome Perfectionism (and the Anxiety it Causes)

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This video talks about the struggles of perfectionism and how to deal with it. The speaker talks about how we have to make mistakes in order to grow and how we aren't supposed to be perfect. He also talks about how procrastination can come hand in hand with perfectionism. I liked that it mentioned that because I struggle with both perfectionism and procrastination on a daily basis. I chose this video because I like the methods it talks about, including not comparing yourself to others. This method resonated with me because I frequently strive to be better than those around me and can become jealous if I am not.

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How to Overcome Perfectionism (and the Anxiety it Causes) - College Info Geek

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This video talks about how to pull yourself together and regain your confidence after a failure. The speaker shares several methods to use to achieve this, including determining need for immediate action and getting some distance from the problem. I chose this video because not only does the speaker talk about how to go about fixing failures, but how to recover from them. He talks about physical and emotional ways to deal with such a difficult situation. Failure is a struggle to deal with, especially when dealing with academics. It is important to fix your mistakes and your mindset, and this video talks about how to do both.

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How to Bounce Back from Failure - College Info Geek