Take a minute and imagine that you are blowing up a balloon, keep blowing and blowing never letting any of the air escape. With every breath the pressure inside the balloon increases as the outside of the balloon is becoming increasingly stressed. If air continues to be forced into the balloon it will eventually explode. The feeling of the swelling pressure inside the balloon is a likeness to how many high school leaders feel in today’s world with all of the academic, personal and societal demands.
Students today are becoming more and more involved in school associations as well as sports. Many parents believe the more activities their student is involved in the better prepared they will be for their college application. This assumption is false. A 2004 survey, which assessed the overall well-being of 47,202 undergraduates nationwide, reported 32.4 percent of students viewed stress as the number one impediment to academic performance -- more so than the common cold, depression, death of a family member, sexual assault or eating disorders leading us to believe that being involved in more activities is not always the best decision for the student. There is a point when students are involved in so many different associations and sporting events that their time to be a high school student and individual is being limited. As students become more involved in school and community activities the greater the stress and pressure to perform at higher standards. Therefore the student’s personal wellness is being compromised due to the increased levels of stress and the limited amount of time available to relax.
Why are student leaders experiencing such tremendous amounts of stress when it is clear they are successfully exceeding in many areas of their life? The answer is complicated. As a student leader you are required to be a role model and set an example for your peers.This role alone has expectations and demands from teachers and advisors to succeed not to mention the self-imposed demands for excellence. As a student leader there are many demands and responsibilities for the care and concern and well-being of other students and groups. So much that it may jeopardize your personal wellness as there is no time for self-care.
Let’s take a moment and look at a day in the life of a teenager. Josie is a typical 17-year -old Senior in high school. Josie has three advance placement classes, is dual enrolling in two classes at a local University, is taking required classes and is also a member in her school’s chapter of National Honor Society, Student Council and Youth Advisory Committee. Josie also has a part-time job at the local fast food restaurant, she has to make time for homework and she has to make time to spend with her friends and family. On a typical day Josie wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to begin her day at 6:50 for a club meeting held at the school.The school day begins at 8:15 which encompasses her required classes and then three advanced placement classes and there is with only 5 minutes between each class, leaving little time to use the restroom or catch one’s breath. At 2:30 Josie packs up her books and drives 30 minutes to the University where she participates in two classes. At 4:30 Josie rushes out of her last college class and heads back to school to attend yet another club meeting. At 5:30 she heads to her job where she works until 10:00 p.m. Josie arrives home at 10:30 p.m. faced with completion of homework, which is roughly an hour of homework for each class. Exhausted Josie collapses into her bed at 1:30 a.m. with the burden she had not finished all of her homework. Josie awakes at 5:30 a.m. with the relief there are no scheduled meetings, allowing her to complete her home work and rush off to school to start the cycle all over again.
Many parents, teachers, and students would say that Josie has a very tightly packed schedule. However, the truth is Josie’s schedule clearly resembles what a “normal” student experiences in high school. Not to mention the time spent on the weekends researching colleges, completing projects. If students are not working then they often are at practice for a sports team, volunteering in the community, committing their time to extracurricular activities such as drama and forensics, dance or gymnastics, or working diligently trying to catch up on homework. Subsequently there is little time for the student to initiate time for relaxation and social activities. In 2006 the American Academy of Pediatrics initiated a report about the perils of "pressure-filled intense preparation for a high-achieving adulthood." There has also been a recent flood of popular books such as "The Overachievers" that warn of the perils for young adults who keep such a stress paced lifestyle. Despite warnings by experts there are few indications that high school students will face an altered landscape anytime soon.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, stress is the uncomfortable feeling you get when you’re worried, scared, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed. It is caused by emotions, but it affects your mood and body. Stress comes from many different places, such as; parents, “Hurry up, finish this, do your homework, go out for the team, practice your music, do your best, stay out of trouble, make more friends, don’t ever try drugs.” Friends “Be cool, try this, show us you aren’t a loser, don’t hang out with those dorks.” Even yourself “I need to lose weight, wear the right clothes, get better grades, score more goals, making my parents see I’m not a baby anymore.” Stress can also be caused by: watching parents argue, figuring out how to be independent, feeling pressured to get good grades, being pressured to do something you don’t want to, like smoking, not being good enough at sports, worrying about how your body’s changing, worrying about the safety of your neighborhood or world problems and sometimes even feelings of guilt (American Academy of Pediatrics).
Stress can cause physical or emotional symptoms such as: Tiredness and fatigue, racing pulse and heart palpitations, muscle tension, and aches, shakiness, heartburn and indigestion, dry mouth and throat, excessive sweating, rashes, nail-biting, fidgeting, increased urination, overeating or loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, use of alcohol, drugs, and other illegal substances or prescribed medications, irritability, worry and anxiety, moodiness and depression, and loss of memory.(Adapted from Elk in, 1999)
One of the most important things to alleviate stress is to be sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep. Six in 10 American students, grades 9 to 12, average less than eight hours of sleep on school nights, according to the National Sleep Foundation 2006 Sleep in America Poll. Research shows most adolescents need at least nine hours of sleep to feel and function at their best. According to the American Psychiatric Association, at least once a week, 1 in 4 students in grades 9 to 12 fall asleep in class, and 1 in 7 oversleep and arrive at school late or miss school altogether. Among those who drive, 51 percent admit driving while drowsy in the past year and 15 percent report fighting sleepiness while driving at least once a week.
The second most important thing a student can do to alleviate stress is to eat nutritious healthy meals and engage in exercise at least three times a week. Appropriate nutrition and exercise actually reduces tension. Trying to work while suffering from low blood sugar can further intensify stress. If possible try and treat yourself to a massage as it helps slow down and rejuvenate physical and mental aspects.
Recently a website was developed that helps to create stress management plans (http://www.aap.org/stress/teen1-a.cfm This plan only takes about fifteen minutes to complete and could provide a means to a reduction in the stress in a student’s life.
An important message to send to students is it is okay to say no. Many students feel they have to accept every responsibility that is thrown their way whether they feel they can take it on or not. By telling teenagers that it is okay to say no and learn to think about their physical and emotional wellness maybe we can reduce the amount of students who feel they have to try and be superman and take on the world to be successful.
Article by:
Kelsey Fogal
Chippewa Hills High School
MAHS Board of Delegates Vice President 2008-2009
