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How Can IA Students Better Manage Stress?

A Guide to Stress Management 

Alice Liu, Ashley Hou, and Nivedita Nagaraj

Health A1

November 30, 2009

Introduction

Imagine this: you're sitting at your computer typing a last minute English essay that's due tomorrow.  After that, you need to start your Chemistry lab and finish your 100 problem Math assignment.  Then later, you need to start and finish an important History project worth 35 percent of your grade, and then write and practice a 20 minute demonstrative speech.  And to top it all off, you then have to study for a huge Physics test!  Then you look at your clock and stifle a scream as it flashes 2:00 a.m. back at you. 

Does this scenario sound familiar?  Many stressed high school students find themselves in these types of situations.  Although stress is naturally a daily part of our lives, if there's too much, or it's handled improperly, it can have negative impacts on our health.  With this in mind, we asked ourselves how we could appropriately handle stress, or better yet: "How can IA students better manage stress?"

Research

w       What exactly is stress? 

      Webmd.com states that stress is the mental state of a person when they have to handle more than they can or are used to.  Examiner.com describes stress as the reactions of a person's mind and body to changes in their life.  However, both sites agree that stress can be normal and useful, but can have a negative impact if it's too long, too often, or too intense.

      According to kidshealth.org, when your body is placed under stress, it responds to stress by activating the nervous system and producing specific hormones.  The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and cortisol, which increase your heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism.  Your pupils dilate to improve your vision, and your liver releases its stored glucose into your bloodstream.  All of these functions are usually supposed to enhance your performance abilities, but when your body overreacts or fails to adapt, it can cause major problems.

The effects of stress on the body

M   Many of these major problems surround us, as a nation and as high school students at the International Academy.  For example, Americans are stressed over many topics that they must deal with almost daily, such as their financial matters, careers, and personal relationships, of which finances and careers stress out the majority of Americans, approximately 80 percent, which are displayed in the chart below.  In addition, about 30 percent of Americans rate their stress levels as extreme (Stress Statistics That Say it All).

Although stress is an issue that Americans face as a whole, we are also heavily impacted by this.  As high school students attending the International Academy, one of the most academically vigorous schools in the country, we are especially stressed out over various factors such as parent pressure, peer pressure, IB requirements, college requirements, standardized tests, grades, extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs, diminished social lives, transportation problems, the energy required to concentrate in classes for 1.5 hours, and relationships.  In a survey taken of 78 International Academy students ranging from freshmen to juniors, it was found that the top three stress sources were school, which 96 percent of students said that they were stressed by, college and IB requirements, which 69 percents of students felt stressed by, and parent pressure, which 56 percent of students felt stressed by, as depicted by the diagram below.  Also, the average stress rating of the 78 students was an 8 on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the most extreme, which is pretty high.

So why does it matter that so many people are so stressed out?  Well, intense, long term stress can result in many problems such as sleep deprivation, bad eating habits, emotional and mental instability, and anxiety, of which some are already prevalent among the IA population.  However, these can worsen into long term mental effects such as posttraumatic stress disorder, which can occur due to an extremely traumatic event, and anxiety problems such as being frequently tense, upset, or worried, or exaggeration of small difficulties.  In that same survey taken of the 78 IA students, 74 percent of students said that they felt overwhelmed when stressed, 44 percent felt angry over their stress, 38 percent felt both depressed and hopeless under stress.  With so many students experiencing negative side effects of stress, something needs to be done to prevent and stop these less-than-enjoyable feelings!  

Solution

To relieve yourself of stress, you need to follow two steps.  First, find your major sources of stress.  These sources can range from your habits, attitude, and excuses, to any of the previously mentioned stress factors.  Next, seek healthy ways to reduce stress.  We advise that you adapt to the stressor, alter the situation, or accept things that you can't change (Smith).  You can do these by learning important stress-relieving skills such as the abilites to take control of your environment, or being assertive, manage your time, take care of yourself, confide in a friend, balance your life, learn to not cave under pressure, identify opportunities for personal growth, compromise, express your feelings, stay mindful, and when all else fails, you must have the ability to recognize your need to seek professional help.

In the previously mentioned survey, it was found that many IA students already participate in stress-relieving activities, and yet a great number of students was also found to participate in less advisable activities.  Many students choose to socialize (55 percent) and exercise (47 percent of students), while a great amount, about 54 percent, choose to procrastinate when stressed.  Luckily, a minimal number of students use drugs or took out their anger on others.  Other healthy methods to reduce stress would include activities such as exercising, writing, meditating, self-hypnosis, walking, immersion in nature, socializing, watching television, reading, gardening, taking care of pets, sweating ot tension, eating healthy food, and participating in the arts.  However, if you are stressed, you should NOT smoke, drink, over- or under- eat, isolate yourself, take pills and drugs, procrastinate, take out your frustration on others, or keep yourself awake, as these all diminish your mental and physical health, and preserving a good mental and physical health is the goal of reducing stress. 

Works Cited

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Rivas-Wolf, Maria.  "Stress Management for Teens." Examiner.com. 13 Sep. 2009.  14 Sep. 2009.  <http://www.examiner.com/x-12730-SF-Teen-Issues-Examiner~y2009m9d13-Stress-Management-for-Teens>.

"Stress Management-Topic Overview."  WebMD.  27 Apr. 2007. 14 Sep. 2009.  <http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-topic-overview>.

"Stress Statistics That Say It All." Stop Your Mid Life Crisis. Dec. 2008.  23 Oct. 2009. http://www.stop-your-midlife-crisis.com/stress_statistics.html.