distress

Stress and Academic Performance

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

How to help children and teens manage their stress

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

 

Your Brain on Stress

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By: Stephanie Osuba

Our brain has an automatic response to stress located in the amygdala, an almond sized structure in our brain that regulates emotion. Once a threat is perceived, the amygdala releases a number of hormones – adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine – to prepare for the “fight or flight” response. This is all well and good for physical threats, but what about interpersonal threats? Threats that are far more complex that need an actual solution rather than simply running away. That’s when your prefrontal cortex comes into play as it handles all of the executive function in your brain and allows you to think critically about situations. This way you can learn how to deliberately take a step back and think about how you are going to handle the stressor. So instead of letting your emotions dictate when you are angry with your significant other, dealing with rude customers, or have one too many, here are some ways you can learn to manage your stress in a constructive way:

  • Take a Breath: Calm things down and take deep breaths. This clears your head long enough for you to regain control of your emotions and let your prefrontal cortex get onboard. Once you do that, you can start critically thinking about what to do with your stressor.
  • Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the act of being in the present and being aware of your surroundings and the social context you are in. By asking yourself, “why am I feeling angry?” or “is saying this mean thing the best thing to do right now?” you can stop yourself from acting out in a way that you might regret.
  • Focus on What You Can Control: Some situations allow room for you to intervene, and others do not. Focus your energy on aspects you can anticipate, while at the same time mindfully accepting the aspects that you cannot.
  • Broaden Your View: When the amygdala gives off negative emotions due to the stressor, the anxiety usually narrows your point of view and drives you to find the quickest solution to the problem. As we know, the fastest solution isn’t always the best and it prevents you from using the stressful opportunity to grow and learn from the situation and finding a creative solution.

As much as we would rather not have to deal with it, stress is part of our daily lives and learning how to manage it can give us the life skills to handle, relatively, any situation thrown at us.

Source: Greenberg, M., Ph.D. (2017, September 7). Five Secrets to a Stress-Proof Brain. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201702/five-secrets-stress-proof-brain

If you or someone you know is experiencing psychological distress due to stress, please contact our psychotherapy/psychiatry offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & 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 http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.