April is Stress Awareness Month….so what better timing to remind ourselves to pay attention to our health. It is a great opportunity for us educators to be aware of the stress our students may be experiencing in the classroom in addition to their personal lives. The great news is that there are effective ways we can manage our stress, and these can be explored and implemented in the classroom so that we can better equip our students with strategies to overcome the detrimental effects of stress.
Stress inhibits learning, and if it goes unmanaged, it can lead to anxiety and depression and can cause harmful physical effects on students such as increased school dropout rates, substance abuse and suicide.
We should all take some time to teach students about identifying their stress triggers, as well as exploring different techniques for managing stress.
There are three main common myths in need of being dispelled:
Myth 1: Stress is the same for everyone. This is simply not accurate, primarily because stress is subjective in that everyone copes with stress differently. What may be stressful for someone, may not be stressful for another person – we all handle situations differently.
Myth 2: You can tell when someone is stressed out. There are common symptoms of stress, which include mood swings, anti-social behavior / social withdrawal, anger, amongst other signs. However, there are other symptoms that are internal and not so noticeable such as anxiety, depression, and excessive worry that are not visible or apparent.
Myth 3: Only major stress symptoms require attention. Regardless of whether we experience minor or major stress symptoms, these need to be addressed. If minor stress symptoms are ignored, they can quickly manifest into more severe chronic stress. Additionally, stress hormones can negatively impact a person’s memory, learning, and wellbeing.
What are things we can do to provide our students with the best learning opportunities that will help them fulfil their ultimate potential in school, and in the real world?
1. Morning meetings. What better way to connect with your students and address any issues they may be experiencing. Spend the start of the school day checking in with students, talking through their feelings and emotions, and practice developing social and emotional skills.
2. Promote a growth mindset. Teaching students to rise above negative thoughts and perceived limitations by seeing the world through a lens of growth while encouraging perseverance and determination. This can be done by teaching them to focus on the positives and view challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than a negative feeling of a looming threat.
3. Teach mindfulness. Through mindfulness, we can help students reduce negative effects of stress through being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, and how they impact our actions. Through this process, it has been proven that students begin to recognize triggers and changes within their bodies, which helps them calm down and regulate their emotions before they act on a trigger in a negative way.
4. Encourage students to get enough sleep. Children need around 10 – 12 hours of sleep each night, and high school students need around eight to nine hours. It is crucial for students to understand the importance of sleep and the impact it has on their physical and mental health.
5. Be a listening ear. Some children do not have an adult at home who they can turn to when they need to talk. Educators should encourage students to talk about their feelings so that you can work through any concerns they may have.
Helping students with stress management is a skill they will use throughout their lives. I’m hoping these de-stressing tips can help educators teach students strategies to handle life and stress that will serve them throughout their lives.
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