We are six weeks into the school year and days are now getting busier. Many teenagers are stressed because of school work, household conflicts and even personal conflicts can pop up at any time.

Students have also dealt with stress due to school activities such as joining a club, volunteering for a school event and more. Unfortunately, cases like that are more likely to happen because of school work. Majority of students have been dealing with stress and are going through a tough time dealing with schoolwork to get better grades. 

“75% of high schoolers and 50% of middle schoolers described themselves as “often or always feeling stressed” by schoolwork. According to an article from Financesonline.com. “Almost 80% of high schoolers and 50% of middle schoolers felt stressed by the work that they have received.” 

The Pew Research Center also found that “61% of teens 13-17 years old say they are under a lot of pressure to produce good grades. Pew also found that this percentage is twice as high as those pressured to look good or fit in socially. This shows that school plays an important role to teenager’s mental health due to stress caused by the amount of work they need to do to maintain an average grade to pass their classes.  

Each person experiences grief in many different ways. As a child or a teen, losing loved ones causes you to be overwhelmed and stressed. Crying, being moody, having unusual behavior, fatigue and having a loss of appetite is normal after losing a loved one.  Many teenagers have lost their family members and friends at a young age. This is the number one stress driver according to Adventhealth.com.

School related stress is made worse by poor time management, also known as procrastination. Doing assignments last minute can affect their mental health causing them to be stressed about submitting assignments on time. 

The most common type of stress people experience is called Acute stress. Acute stress is a reaction that you feel after an overwhelming or traumatic event. You may feel like you’re tired, sleepy, irritated and emotions going up and down.  Being stressed can lead to serious threats like having suicidal thoughts, harming yourself and even high risks of health problems. 

The counselors at North High School have recommendations on how to handle situations with stress in the alarm stage, and how they handle students with stress of a serious threat. 

According to our counselors, stress management techniques could include relaxation techniques, time management skills, or counseling. 

Here are some strategies to resist becoming over stressed: 1. get enough sleep, 2. exercise regularly, 3. take calming breaths, 4. listen to music, 5. get organized, 6. eat a healthy diet, 7. make time for hobbies, 8. slow down, 9. talk about your problems, and 10. do your best. 

Counselors at North High School recommend these methods to help you cope with your stress. 

When the stress is greater than the person’s ability to cope, we offer additional support to the student and family. 

Our counselors stated that if you know someone or is someone who is going through stress, don’t be afraid to reach out to your family, friends and staff at home and school. Talk to your friends and family, they will listen to you and help you. You matter and so does your health.