How to reduce student stress
Student stress occurs too often
Stress. It’s a noun, a verb, and too much a part of daily conversation. We say things like “I’m so stressed about the test tomorrow” to “I’m stressing so bad over getting into college” to “stress is my middle name.” Some levels of student stress are a normal part of life, but too much is not a good thing. Instead of being a motivator, stress can hamper a student’s ability to function at their best.
A 2015 study from NYU researchers reported that half (49% actually) of all students in the study, all high school juniors, stated that they felt a great deal of stress on a daily basis.
Students today face increasing pressure of grades, extra-curriculars, social media, college prep, expectations of parents, and on and on. Kids know myriad challenges younger and younger, and hence need to learn stress management at an earlier age.
What are some ways to reduce student stress?
Time management is key. Today’s youth are often over-scheduled. No matter how stringent a schedule, there needs to be open space for creativity and plain old relaxation. Parents and students need to realize that time needs to spent wisely; filling every minute of every day is counter-productive. You need to allot chunks of time to do absolutely NOTHING. Downtime to breathe is just as crucial as violin lessons, hockey practice, or ACT prep.
Related to time management is overall organizational skills. Feeling frazzled leads to more stress and can be abated by learning how to organize time and tasks. Developing a system to take notes and keep track of those notes, and maintaining a list of deadlines of all homework assignments and test dates can be helpful. Even having a dedicated place for the backpack and place to study at home keeps nerves at bay. Creating order out of chaos is an essential life skill and can be learned as a student.
Tried and true basic habits like drinking plenty of water, eating less junk food, getting outside for fresh air, and doing some kind of body movement can help reduce stress and its negative effects. Soaking in a bath instead of a shower, taking a yoga class, meditating, or using essential oils can be positive stress busters.
Maintaining optimism and resisting procrastination also relieve stress. When the weight of the world seems to bear down, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When there are too many things to do, getting started on just one can feel overwhelming. That’s when a tutor can be of assistance.
You might want to consider a tutor
Many people assume a tutor is only for struggling students to be able to keep up or for superstar students to achieve lofty goals, but the reality is that a tutor can mitigate the stress buildup. A tutor can help any student with the above factors of time management, organizational skills, and give a clear path of what to do when and why. This step-by-step guidance sparks positivity and confidence, which allows a student to handle daily stress more effectively.
The right tutor can also serve as a mentor, an example of “I’ve got through it and you can too.” Time spent with a tutor is a safe space for a student to vent fears and to understand that they are not alone.
Even though it’s normal to feel stress, it cannot be stressed enough (pun intended) that there are ways to reduce student stress that can create a lifelong gameplan on how to face future challenges. And that
is time well spent indeed.
About the Author
