by Candria D'Souza
Picture this: It's midnight, and you're staring at your textbook, struggling to keep your eyes open. You've got an exam in eight hours, and despite your best efforts, the material just isn't sticking. Sound familiar?
Academic stress is the result of academic demands that exceed a student's ability to cope, leading to stress and potential negative effects on mental health. You’re likely already aware that students today are facing heightened mental health issues, including staggering rates of anxiety and depression. Numerous factors contribute to adverse mental health for K-12 students, but perhaps one of the most prevalent is academic stress. Spanning all age groups and socioeconomic statuses, no student is immune to the pressure of academic performance. This stress can stem from the fear of failure, high academic expectations, and the competitive nature of the educational environment.
Regular stress, on the other hand, is a broader concept that includes any stress experienced in daily life. It can arise from various sources, such as work, relationships, financial pressures, and health issues. While regular stress is a natural response to challenges and can be a motivating force, it can become problematic when it is chronic or overwhelming.
Academic stress is a significant issue today due to the intense competition in the educational environment, where students face constant pressure to excel in exams, secure top grades, and gain admission to prestigious institutions. This relentless drive for achievement can lead to anxiety, burnout, and mental health issues, making it crucial to address and manage academic stress to ensure students' overall well-being and success.
According to Michigan Virtual, researchers have identified the following as the most common contributors to school-related stress:
Demanding academic content and excessive homework
High-stakes tests
Pressure from parents to gain acceptance into prestigious universities
Peer pressure
Lack of preparation
Difficulty in time management and perfectionism
Pressure to maintain high grades and fear of failure
Conflicts with teachers
Transitioning to higher education
Poor diet and lack of sleep
To address your academic stress, you can start by identifying the main causes, whether it’s from a particular class or subject, an issue of time management, having too much on your plate, peer pressure or parental pressure, financial obligations, etc.
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms of academic stress but there is a wide range of them. Some emotional symptoms include irritability and feeling overwhelmed, while physical symptoms include headaches, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and changes in appetite, and behavioral symptoms include procrastination, avoidance, and changes in social behavior. If you strongly identify with several of these and you feel that your academic stress is taking a serious toll on you, it’s best to talk to a trusted adult.
If you struggle with time management, you should try organizing and prioritizing your tasks efficiently. You can try using a physical planner, if writing down a to-do list helps, or you can use an online calendar or note-taking apps such as Notion or Google Calendar. It’s also a good idea to break down large projects into manageable chunks.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important too, as difficult as it is with school. Regularly exercising, eating a balanced diet, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep are vital. If you struggle with getting enough time to sleep at night, you can try taking a short power nap as soon as you get home from school to keep you energized.
Mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can also help you relax. Talking to your friends and family about what you’re going through can help you get things off your chest and can lead to you developing a good support system.
In conclusion, remember that it's perfectly okay to seek help and prioritize your mental health; doing so is a sign of strength, not weakness. If you're feeling overwhelmed by academic stress, don't hesitate to talk to someone you trust or reach out to a mental health professional. Your well-being is paramount. Together, we can create a supportive community where everyone feels empowered to take care of their mental health.
