Nearly every high school student has experienced the same dreaded feeling as they wake up in the morning and get ready for school. Students know the day will bring endless work and constant pressure followed by another sleepless night. The feeling is stress, and we all experience it—some more than others, and each person in their own way. While the pandemic exacerbated stress levels among teenagers, stress has always been a part of high school. One good thing to come out of the pandemic is a better understanding of mental health and the effects of stress on teenagers.
It is important to know how stress can generally impact teenagers’ lives. When a teen’s stress levels increase, it interferes with learning, relationships, sports and other parts of life. Sometimes there are physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches. Many have insomnia or, just the opposite, they cannot get out of bed in the morning. Stress simply takes the joy out of activities you love. Dr. Lassman, Fieldston school psychologist, reports, “What I notice is that stress can look different depending on the person. Some students look tired. Some have more energy than normal. But overall, it gets in the way of you doing what you want to do.”
Interestingly, not all stress is bad. Cortisol increases when you experience stress. This response triggers your blood sugar, metabolism and memory to increase. All of which often result in a boost of physical and cognitive abilities. Monday, you have a big test, and the stress you experience pushes you to study. You run track and field, and the race is about to start, stress pushes you to run faster. However, with high school students, the type of stress experienced is usually overwhelming chronic stress which results in too much cortisol production. The overwhelming amount of cortisol can impair your ability to do school work and the activities you love.
Stress has been around forever but lately, it has been front and center with celebrities, sports heroes, academia and our parents. Many point to the pandemic for the rise in stress but also the rise in awareness and attention mental health now gets.
Why did the pandemic drive stress levels up in teens? Well, we attended class in our bedrooms, in our pajamas. That sounds great, and it would have been if it was for a week, but we all know that is not how the story ends. Everything got canceled! Sports, proms and graduations. Isolated at home, teens 14 to 18 were robbed of milestone events that they had dreamed about since elementary school, making many worry about their future and how everything would shake out. Moreover, online learning was often less engaging and uninteresting. A national study found that the experience of lockdowns and remote learning combined with an overall uncertainty in the health of the world increased anxiety and stress levels in teens to an extreme amount. The study also found that teens had trouble concentrating and that they also experienced a sense of overwhelming loneliness.
When lockdowns were lifted teens were then thrown back into school full-time, which presented new problems to stress about. What would it be like to socialize again? What do I wear? How early do I need to get up to get to class on time? Will I be able to focus with a mask on? According to one survey, only 31% of students felt emotionally prepared to socialize in person, and only 20% thought they would be successful in school. Dr. Lassman reflected on this time for Fieldston students. “The pandemic and stress impacted students very differently. When we first came back to school in September panic attacks were on the rise.”
Besides the pandemic, what is the origin of a teenager’s stress? One study done at two elite east coast schools reported that 49% of the students felt a great deal of stress every day. 26% were diagnosed with depression. This is more than 4 times the national average of 6%. The students said that schoolwork, grades and college admissions were their greatest stressors. A lot of this stress was due to pressure the students felt from parents, teachers and peers.
However, chronic stress is not just for the elite. In fact, stress felt by students at lower-income schools is often more intense. According to Bo Paule, a sociology professor who did years of fieldwork in the Bronx, the stress is more intense for lower-income students because it revolves around physical safety such as violence, gangs and unstable living conditions. Not only do these students stress about schoolwork but they worry about their environment and safety.
But all is not lost. There is a lot we can do to alleviate and manage stress. Researchers studied the teenage brain and found that teenagers’ ability to deal with stress and challenges really depends on their executive function skills and how they navigate everyday life. With strong daily skills, a teen’s coping mechanisms are better. The skills coupled with love and support from family are critical to successfully navigating these troubled times.
One of the first things you can do is determine the origin of your stress. Try to figure out the reason behind your anxiety. What is causing you to feel overwhelmed or stressed out? When students come to Dr. Lassman she works with them to break it down. Often a student will express not having enough time to get things done. We have all been there. Practice after school, SAT work, homework and big paper due in a week. How do we get it all done?
This is where time management skills can really help out. Prioritize your work and block out time to get it done. Dr. Lassman suggests always including time for yourself and giving yourself a reward. Figure out what makes you happy and spend time doing it. Some ideas include:
- Watch a show you’ve been looking forward to
- Do something you enjoy (Bake, eat a food you love)
- Get outside/get active (go for a walk, bike, run, sit in the park)
- Connect with others (Make time to meet a friend, spend time with your family, chat on the phone)
Dr. Lassman also suggests that students focus on physical activity and sleep to help de-stress. Physical activity can range from a walk around the block, a few yoga poses or an intense workout. Whatever feels best to you, just get up and move. Sleep is critical to all parts of life. One big step to improving sleep is taking the time to establish a sleep routine. Every night follows the same pattern. One example is as follows: wash your face, brush your teeth, turn off your phone and try to be in bed at the same time each night.
The number one thing, according to Dr. Lassman, is for students to understand that it is okay to not feel okay some of the time. Everyone feels that way and you are not alone. She also recommends exploring ways to help manage your stress. Once you find what works for you, build a toolbox of the tricks that help. This could include things such as (but are not limited to) rewards, sleep, meditation, talking to friends and family or therapy.
The most impactful thing that can be done to help teens with stress is for schools and parents to create an environment for teens to feel less overwhelmed. One thing to note is the effort Fieldston has put in to create a better environment for its students. The administration and teachers are listening to the concern and stress in Fieldston students’ lives. Mental health and the happiness of our student body have become paramount to the school. The homework and testing calendar are managed to not be too burdensome. The administration ensures tests and big projects are not due around holidays or special school occasions. This allows students to enjoy those times with family and friends. The college counseling office provides an outlet for students to discuss their fears about college and how to best handle them. School psychologists are available for everyone with open offices and a safe space for students. But, there is always more that can be done. Maybe one day Fieldston might even make the switch to a later start. I’m sure that’s one thing that all Fieldston students dream about.
To get more information, the next time you are in the bathroom, check out our new flyer Fieldston Pews with highlights of this article, and continue to find ways to de-stress!
