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Link 1: Harvard Summer School (Harvard Division Of Continuing Education)

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Link 1: Harvard Summer School (Harvard Division Of Continuing Education)

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The ways to de-stress that are mentioned here are very useful and helpful. These tips can give scholars the capabilities and guides to know what to do in stressful situations that involve school and how to treat it when it gets bad.

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No doubt, high school can be a high-pressure time in life. And high school students, as a result, get stressed out.

In fact, according to the American Psychological Association's Stress in America 2020 survey, teens who are already under stress due to the normal pressures of high school have felt even more stress in recent years, thanks to the pandemic. About 43 percent of teens surveyed in 2020 said their stress levels had gone up, and 45 percent said they had a hard time concentrating on schoolwork. Many reported feeling less motivated.

Although life has mostly returned back to normal, that doesn't mean the stress that high school students feel has disappeared.

The typical challenges that anyone faces in high school continue as they always have, and, in some cases, have grown more complicated. Consequently, surveys suggest, many teens continue to experience a decline in mental and physical health.

If you're in high school and stressed, we get it. In this blog, we'll talk about what stress is, what triggers it, and how you can manage it.

What is Stress?

"Stress" is a term we use constantly in conversation, but what does it really mean?

Stress can be defined as our physical and mental responses to some external event. The event might be considered "good" like preparing to go to the prom, or bad, like feeling tense after an illness, an argument with a friend, or while preparing for an upcoming test.

The good thing about most stress is that it usually goes away once the external event causing the stress is over.

Alternatively, there is a type of stress that results more from an internal dialogue than an external event. We call this "anxiety." It involves persistent feelings of dread or apprehension that interfere with your daily life, even after the test, the argument, or prom, are just a distant memory.

Why Are Teens So Stressed?

Simply being a teenager can be hard. Your body is changing. You may be grappling with your sexuality or gender identity. Add to that the academic demands of high school and throw in the pressures of social media, and the tension mounts.

"Some of the common triggers of stress in teens might be anxiety to perform well in academics such as getting into a good college, peer pressure, interpersonal relationships, or body image issues," says Sakshi Khurana, Research Fellow at Harvard's Weisz Lab for Youth Mental Health. "Other larger issues that the world is going through - for example, climate change or war- might also act as stressors for teens as they are learning about the world."

The most common source of stress for high school students, according to the 2017 APA Stress survey, is school itself, with about 83 percent of teens identifying school as a major stressor. The second biggest source of student stress, (according to 69 percent of students), was getting into a good college or deciding what to do after high school. The third biggest teen stress was financial concerns for the family (65 percent of students).

Here's a quick breakdown of broad categories of factors that may stress you out:

Academics. In high school, not only are you worried about next week's English, History or Calculus exam, but you're also worried about applying to college and taking the SAT tests, too. It can all feel overwhelming, and you may feel pressure to please your parents and teachers.

Social Stress. Even without the pressures of academics, life in high school can be demanding. Dealing with friends and classmates, starting new romantic relationships, handling bullies and peer pressure both online and off, can be a lot to handle.

Family Issues. If your parents are divorcing, if your family is experiencing financial problems, or even if you just have trouble getting along with siblings, your stress levels can go up.

Trauma. Dramatic life events ranging from a death in the family, to an accident, to emotional and physical abuse, can cause stress. Also in this category, you can include the collective trauma of such global events such as school shootings, terrorism, and natural disasters.

Big Life Changes. Changes like moving and starting a new school can be a major stress for teens.

What are Signs of Stress in High School Students?

If you're a high school student feeling stressed, you may not even recognize the symptoms.

In fact, many symptoms of stress might be considered normal for teens who are also dealing with natural hormonal and physical changes. For that reason, it's important to consider whether behavioral changes can be linked in time to an external event.

Signs of stress include:

Feeling more agitated, anxious, short-tempered, or depressed

Getting sick more often

Having more headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains

Feeling more tired than usual

Not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much

Skipping meals or overeating

Neglecting chores or hobbies

Trouble concentrating and forgetfulness

High blood pressure

According to the APA 2017 survey, the most common symptoms of stress among teens were insomnia, overeating or eating unhealthy foods, skipping meals, feeling angry, nervous, or anxious, feeling fatigued, and snapping at friends and classmates.

Why is Stress so Problematic for Teens?

Let's be clear, a little bit of stress is a normal part of life, and sometimes even desirable.

Stress can act as a motivator, getting us to do things we might not otherwise. Good stress is called "eustress" and can help get you excited and energized about that first date or taking the stage in your first musical.

But too much unrelieved stress can lead to mental and physical health issues.

Your body reacts to stress by releasing a hormone called cortisol which regulates blood pressure and immune function. If you're stressed all the time and your body produces too much cortisol, it can lower your immunity, raise your blood pressure, and impair your cognitive performance.

In teens, the part of the brain regulating the stress response is less developed than in adults, meaning that if you're a stressed-out teen, you may experience stress longer than an adult.

"In the teen years, due to hormonal changes, stress tends to influence the emotional functioning of the brain, which in turn impacts the cognitive and executive functioning," says Khurana.

You might not be able to sleep, you may overeat, or develop digestive, cardiovascular, or immune problems. Stress can even put you at a higher risk for developing mental illnesses like anxiety or depression.

What are the Best Techniques to Help Students Manage Stress?

Since too much stress is not a good thing for your mind or body, you should think about incorporating a few stress management techniques into your daily life.

"A few techniques that might help teens manage stress are relaxation through deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness, channeling energy into sports or creative pursuits such as music, art, theater, and forming meaningful relationships or friendships," says Khurana. "Additionally, every culture has its own way of enabling young people to manage stress, so drawing from those traditions might be helpful as well."

Here are few ideas of how high school students can learn how to deal with stress at school:

Keeping a journal

Getting plenty of exercise

Eating healthy, regular meals

Making sure you get enough sleep

Meditating

Downloading an app that provides relaxation exercises (such as deep breathing or visualization) or tips for practicing mindfulness

Limiting excess caffeine in soft drinks or coffee

Reaching out to friends or family members who help you cope in a positive way

Making time to do fun things

Learning to recognize and prepare for stressful periods by doing all of the above

With so many big life decisions ahead, getting through high school happy and whole can definitely feel challenging at times. It's easy to see why so many high school students feel stressed. The good news is that there are solutions. Adopt the strategies above, take a deep breath, and remember, it's not forever!

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Managing Stress in High School - Harvard Summer School

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Read about why high school students feel stressed today, and learn some important stress management techniques for teens.

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These 8 ways to de-stress has helped many high schoolers find ways to not stress out during studying. This goes with my Stress Reduction padlet as these ways have proved many ways for high schoolers to have less-stressed minds when it came to exams and quizzes.

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If you're already feeling a little anxious about the new school year before classes have even started, you're not alone. Transitions are stressful by nature, and thinking about navigating classes, friendships, and extracurriculars can feel overwhelming-especially after a summer with way less on your schedule.

But transitions are also exciting, because they give you a chance to figure out your priorities and think about what would make this a good year for you. You can't control what teachers you get, the time school starts, or even the fact that attending school is legally required, but you have the power to prioritize taking care of yourself.

Here are eight steps to planning for a positive school experience this year.

1. Try to get enough sleep.

It's not easy with all the activities and late-night group texts, but getting enough sleep can make a huge difference in how you feel every day, how your school day goes, and your mental health in general.

But don't take our word for it. See for yourself.

Set a target number of hours you want to get for a few nights-ideally between nine and 10, but at least eight.

Get off all screens a half hour before you want to be asleep, which will help your body wind down.

Use a sleep app to track when you fall asleep and wake up.

Take brief notes in the app, a journal, or a notes app about how many hours of sleep you got the night before, as well as your mood and the kind of day you had after.

Pretty soon your little research project will give you a good idea how sleep can make you feel so much better.

2. Pick a person.

Think of one person you really trust and like to talk to-friend, parent, teacher, coach, school counselor-and plan to check in with them each week to share ups and downs and trouble-shoot challenges as they come up.

3. Find your people.

One of the most powerful ways to take care of your mental health is to form meaningful connections. Ways to do that:

Check out clubs or activities that interest you to find a built-in group with whom you have at least one thing in common.

Volunteer through your school or in the community.

Tutor students in other grades.

Take time to get to know people in your classes.

Pick one of these and give it a try. Research has shown repeatedly that having a sense of connectedness and feeling like you're part of something bigger than yourself is a really powerful way to take care of your emotional well-being.

4. Establish small rituals.

These can be little things you look forward to that help you open and close your day intentionally or just give you a reset. Ideas:

Write in a journal.

Take stock of your schedule and tasks.

Listen to music.

Take a walk outside.

5. Build in a daily stress relieving activity

This can be short and easy. Ideas:

Practice breathing exercises .

Meditate with an app for five minutes.

Listen to music with nothing else distracting you.

Sing at the top of your lungs.

Dance in your room.

Do anything else you enjoy that brings you into the present moment.

6. Find a physical activity you actually like to do.

Moving your body releases chemicals in your brain that boost your mood, relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, and make you feel good. If you play-and enjoy-a sport, that may take care of this one. If not, here are some simple ideas:

Walk with a friend or while listening to music or a favorite podcast.

Try y oga, dance fitness, or other online exercise videos.

Play physical or dance games on your gaming console.

7. Get organized.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when you don't know where to start. Spending a little time getting organized before school and making a plan for how you will stay on top of assignments and make time for work can relieve any stress you may be feeling.
You can find easy-to-follow tips in How to Reduce Stress by Prioritizing and Getting Organized .

8. Know who you can go to when you're struggling.

Even with all the planning in the world, you will have highs and lows in high school. It's just part of life. Doing the things in this article can help you cope when the lows come, and help you find and create some of the highs. But there are times when no amount of talking with a friend, exercise, meditation, or organization will make you feel better, so it's a good idea to plan for what you'll do if that happens.

Reaching out for mental health support from someone trained to help you is another great way to take care of yourself. Find out where you can get that kind of support, including these options:

Your school may have dedicated social workers or counselors who support students.

Community organizations that provide low- or no-cost therapy.

Therapists that your friends or family recommend.

Telehealth mental health care providers.

The Teen Line , at 800-252-8336, will connect you to a trained peer counselor between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. PST.

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741-741 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained mental health counselor at any time of day.

If you-or someone you know-is experiencing a mental health crisis, including a suicide or substance use crisis, call or text 988.

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8 Ways to Lower Stress in High School | JED

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Here are eight steps to planning for a positive school experience this year.

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The way to stop being a perfectionist is very beneficial for when you want to do classwork and when you want to study. It can help give you a sense of knowing that you're doing what you need to do. It's not all about being perfect, it's that you doing the work the correct way is all that matters. Getting the work done and feeling proud of yourself for doing it is the best way to view it. Perfectionism can lead to stress and it can cause you to either mess up on your work or not do it the correct way and fail. The advice given in this video really helps me see the ways that perfectionism can be harmful, but knowing what to do and doing it right is a better feeling than anything else.

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

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Video 2: How To Stop Being TIRED All The Time

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Video 2: How To Stop Being TIRED All The Time

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The way to not be so tired can help you wake up feeling more refreshed. It can help you focus more and be less stressed about anything. It can help you focus in class and get your work done. It can also help you be prepared for quizzes and tests. Having a goods nights rest is also very healthy and having a healthy sleep schedule can be beneficial when trying to study as well. The advice given in this video would really help me get a goods nights rest and make me feel good for the morning ahead.

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Video 3: How To Stop Being Constantly Overwhelmed

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Video 3: How To Stop Being Constantly Overwhelmed

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The ways of not being overwhelmed is to try and have everything under control. It's a way for your mind to relax and destress. It makes your mind think more clearly in sudden situations. Stress can hurt your brain and hurt yourself. Ways to help yourself is to keep everything organized and well kept. The advice given in this video really help me understand what can happen if my stress levels get way to high.

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How to Stop Being Constantly Overwhelmed