Decreasing Academic Stress in Schools

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Recommended: The effect of stress on the body

Homework, schoolwork, tests, quizzes, state exams, and more make up the pressure cooker that is modern day high school. Stress places mental and physical strain on the body and can potentially harm health. Stress is the feeling created by the body when it reacts to certain events that put tension or strain upon one’s physical, mental, or emotional state. Acute stress is short term stress that can last anywhere from three days to four weeks. On the other hand, chronic stress is a more serious problem because it is long term stress and can impact health even more. When under constant stress, also known as hyperarousal, blood pressure rises, breathing and heart rates speed up, blood vessels constrict and muscles tense up (Tennant). The amount of academic stress high school students experience negatively affects their mental and physical wellbeing by taking a toll on their health.
There are two types of stress; good stress, known as eustress, and bad stress known as distress. A small amount of eustress is always good; eustress motivates students and helps them concentrate on more than one task. Stress is good in the form of eustress when the person feels in control and motivated. However, when there is too much stress, it can backfire and lead to worry, irritability, or even panic (“Stress on High School Students”). “Stress is negative when a person feels threatened and not in control of the situation. Those feelings instigate a powerful reaction – affecting both the brain and body in ways that can be destructive to physical and mental health” (Tennant). It can lead to a myriad of health issues and other problems such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, chronic stress, drug abuse, suicide, and more. Stress takes a toll on all a...

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... News From NPR. 2 December 2013. 16 March 2014. .
Robbins, Alexandra. The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids. New York: Hyperion, 2006.
“Stress on High School Students: What causes stress?” eastauroraschools.org. 01 June 2011. 16 March 2014. .
Tennant, Victoria. “The Powerful Impact of Stress.” The Powerful Impact of Stress. September 2005. Johns Hopkins School of Education. 14 March 2014. .
Wilde, Marian. “Are we stressing out our kids?” Great Schools. 14 March 2014. .

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