Stress: Stress and Academic Performance

By. Alexis Yennie

Stress affects all of us in various ways; whether it be students studying for an exam or adults and being overloaded with work. Stress can also affect various activities that we do on a daily basis. There are many underlying factors of stress with vary from person to person. In today’s society, children are becoming more stressed than ever. This is due to the constant pressure being put on them to receive the highest grade or even get into a good school. The pressure that is being put on them to balance school life and family/friend’s life can become a huge challenge for many.

There are multiple ways that stress can negatively affect a student’s performance. 1.) High levels of stress can decrease sleep quality; research has found that adolescents need at least eight hours of sleep a night to perform at their best. When they do not get the proper amount of sleep due to stress, this can cause them to have a lack of concentration and the inability to remember correctly. 2.) High levels of stress make students angrier; stress can also be the main reason for an increase in bullying due to irritability and the likelihood of angry outbursts. Directing their stress onto others can also increase bullying. And 3.) High levels of stress can worsen grades; when a student becomes stressed this can take over their ability to focus and can even lead to students dropping out of school.

It is very vital for parents, as well as educators and those supporting them, to become aware/educated about the significant impact stress has on adolescents and young adults. AS a whole, we should be creating a supportive and calm environment so that children succeed at their academic best. Some solutions to overcoming stress amongst adolescents are to conduct wellness checks; such as weekly one-on-one therapy sessions or even group therapy with other students. Also, making health programs available to students to them as needed.

If you or someone you know is struggling with high levels of stress and academic performance or family relationships pertaining to high levels of stress, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or psychotherapist at Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit https://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources: https://partners.pennfoster.edu/blog/2016/september/3-ways-stress-negatively-affects-student-performance#:~:text=When%20a%20student%20is%20stressed,of%20school%20or%20drop%20classes.&text=As%20research%20shows%2C%20stress%20exhibited,students%20while%20in%20the%20classroom.

Image Source: https://www.apa.org/topics/child-development/stress