My teen has anxiety and stress from school assignments, how can we prevent school stress and anxiety?

Stress is a part of everyday life, and schoolwork, busy schedules, responsibilities at home, deadlines, social drama and the expectations of others can all create stress in teens. 

 If they have an active social calendar and do so many activities that they don’t have time for homework, that can stress them out and it’s all about finding a balance. Learning to manage stress means teens need to build coping skills that enable them to take daily challenges in their stride.  

Practice good time management

Encourage your teen to practice good time management by keeping track of assignments, practices, etc, with a planning app or calendar. The constant feeling that time is running out can be very stressful and planning can help to give a feeling of control. 

Of course, it doesn’t help to plan carefully and then not stick to the plan. Managing stress also means not procrastinating and keeping on top of assignments etc. Having a plan will give your teen the opportunity to reflect at the end of each day on how things are going and what tasks may need more time than others. 

Teens can start learning how to break their tasks down into manageable chunks and include time to relax or socialize. They can also learn how to divide their work into urgent, non-urgent, important and non-important tasks.  

Make time to exercise daily

One of the best ways for teens to manage stress is to get exercise every day and this exercise doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of a hectic gym session. 

Taking a bike ride or taking deep breaths on a run releases chemicals in their brains that make them feel better. The endorphin rush they experience with exercise will give them more ability to focus on their homework and be productive instead of staring at a page for hours without making any progress. 

Teens often feel a sense of accomplishment from exercising and if they can exercise outdoors, this is another positive way to reinforce good mental health.  

Get professional help with assignments

 Teens are often faced with overwhelming tasks and they may not know which ones to tackle first. It may relieve their stress to know that they can get professional help with their assignments. British students should try Uk.EduBirdie because it’s a good place to buy an assignment. Students asking, “Are there experts in your topic?” will be happy to know that professional writers with experience in writing on a wide variety of topics are available.

Eat healthy

If unhealthy fast foods are the main source of fuel for teens, they are likely to crash and experience little energy after an initial high. Their memory, emotional state and learning ability are all affected by what they put into their bodies. They may experience diet-related mood swings, light-headedness and a lack of energy from eating too much of the wrong foods.   

Eating regular meals of healthy foods will help them to handle stress and perform at their best. Healthy meals will include a good balance of proteins, fruits and vegetables with not too many carbs or fats. While studying, eating healthy snacks can help them to keep going. 

Get enough sleep

It is easy for teens to let binge-watching Netflix or talking to friends on Whatsapp get in the way of going to sleep at a reasonable hour every night. When they operate in a sleep-deprived state, they are less productive and find it harder to learn.

Maintaining a sleep routine is of great importance to mental health and managing stress. Seven to eight hours sleep a night is recommended and going to bed and getting up at the same time in conjunction with relaxing before bedtime can help to improve teens’ sleep quality. 

Teens may find it hard to switch off their laptops, phones and tablets at least an hour before they go to bed but blue screens can interfere with their ability to fall asleep. Getting enough sleep can significantly improve their memory, focus, creativity and decision-making, all of which are important inside and outside of school.  

Conclusion

If teens want to learn how to manage stress, they have to learn how to find a balance between studying and all their other activities. They need to learn how to prioritize and decide what they need to focus on and what they can afford to let go of. Managing their time, exercising, eating healthily and getting enough sleep are all essential if they want to manage their stress effectively.   

Read: How Cyberbullying Effects Teen Mental Health.

Read: Causes of Teen Mental Health Issues.

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