As a student, I believe most of my peers have experienced stress in school due to multiple factors, yet not everyone has developed effective coping techniques or has managed to overcome the stressor. This is an important issue on a global scale, since unmanaged stress can lead to health problems, which can negatively impact school work and can consequently lead to more stress.
“Almost half of children aged from 12 to 16 in England feel sad or anxious at least once a week with worries about their future and school their biggest concerns, a survey by Barnardo’s (05 Feb 2018) has found.”
Statistics like these reveal that children are incredibly prone to stress due to school, this being only a single factor of why adolescents feel this way. The sources of stress can include: other students, teachers, parents or it can be self-induced. After identifying the source, you can try and start to eliminate unnecessary stress and simultaneously take better care of your mental health.
Personally, having experienced both primary and secondary school, here’s advice that allowed me to cope with homework, self-induced stress and pressure from both teachers and peers. These tips helped me excel in school work and significantly improved my mental health.
Manage Your Time
Especially in the weeks leading up to exams or with large amounts of homework, you should strive to create a timetable for yourself and plan when you’ll do each task. Procrastinating and leaving everything to last minute may seem tempting but leads to large amounts of stress. Strive to be realistic with the amount of work you can do, claiming that you can do everything the night before usually ends with uncompleted work and due to this, lower grades. When creating a schedule remember to take breaks between work and most importantly, follow the schedule and timings you have assigned yourself.
Not getting enough sleep can cause decreased school performance. Personally, I find it hard to concentrate and remember things in school without enough sleep the night before. It’s very common for teenagers to not be getting enough sleep which can increase stress levels.
“One study found that only 15% of teenagers reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights”
As with planning when you’ll do homework and revision, you should plan what time you go to sleep to get the right amount of rest. Teenagers need around 8 or more hours of sleep to be able to perform their best at school.
Relax
During school I’ve found myself in stressful situations such as exams, the wait before getting results or becoming anxious in timed conditions but I’ve tried to remain calm in the following ways: taking deep breaths, slowing down and rationalising the situation. Talking with others, such as friends or adults, about what’s troubling you can be an effective way of relaxing after hearing their advice.
If you find that you’re constantly stressed about school then try to make some time to do things you like, constant studying and worrying about your future will build up to higher amounts of stress. Even if you have lots to do or a busy schedule, you should always set time aside for relaxation.
Summary
- Manage time, create a timetable
- Watch out for procrastination, be decisive
- Don’t leave things until the last minute
- Be realistic about the amount of work you can do in the time available
- Get enough sleep
- Eat well and regularly
- Keep calm, learn some breathing skills or mindfulness
- Talk to friends about any stress
By Julia Trela, Work Experience Student
If stress at school is causing an issue to someone you know, please do give us a call. An initial telephone conversation is free. Call us on 07412 674550 or send us a message.
Helpful websites to visit:
Statistics:
New survey shows half of all schoolchildren feel sad or anxious every week
