TVMB X SZG
Vent Your Frustrations
With Stress Zero Global, a student-led initiative that helps teenagers manage stress, we created a project to better understand teenagers' struggles with mental health. As a part of the project, we made a board filled with memos, as well as a Google form, for students to write about what’s on their minds and vent out their frustrations.
We had an overwhelming number of responses. In both the memos and the Google form, the majority responded that they were not managing their mental health effectively. The root of the problem, of course, was academic stress. The common responses were along the lines of “my test” or “my academic work is piling up and my stress is catching up to me,” making it clear to us that the pressure on students to keep up with their grades and schoolwork was weighing down on them severely. To respond to this, our team wanted to remind all students:
1. Know that you are doing your best
Doing your best doesn’t mean being the best. Your test score is mainly the product of your situation and not your ability. You cannot spend your life only studying: you have to deal with other problems as well. Because of this, your current test score is the best you could have gotten. So, ease the burden off your shoulders, and appreciate yourself because no one else will ever fully understand how hard you are trying to balance your academics and personal life, and how hard you are trying to improve.
Of course, this does not mean that you should expect the same score next time; instead, you should look to solve your other problems so that you have more time to spend studying for your exam. In a realistic sense, this will help you maximize your score. As you understand that what you have done is the best you could have done, you will be able to move on from the stress that you get from the score, and focus on the next exam so that you can do better. In a double effect, you will relieve stress whilst performing better in the next exam!
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2. Take some time to decompress
When academic stress piles up you need to take some time to decompress. According to research conducted by Cornell Health, taking purposeful breaks between studying refreshes your brain and energizes your body (Cornell Health). When you take some time to rest, your brain becomes clearer, optimizing you for resumed studying. From an academic standpoint, taking breaks is effective because it allows you to study for longer, and prevents you from burning out. Similarly, from a self-help standpoint, taking breaks is effective because it manages your stress. Balance is key. Taking too many breaks leads to an ineffective lifestyle, but doing too much work does the same. With the right balance of work and rest, you will not only be able to do better with your academics but also manage your stress effectively.
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As students, we all struggle with academic stress. But knowing that you are doing your best and taking some time to decompress can decrease it significantly. To wrap up this project, we would like to leave you with a list of things you can do while taking some time off of studying:
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Take a walk
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Take a 15 to 20-minute power nap
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Take a shower
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Listen to music
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Practice meditation
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Draw
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Sing
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Stretch
Take care of yourself, and remember that your mental health is much more important than your academic achievements.
Work Cited
“Study Breaks & Stress-Busters.” Cornell Health, https://health.cornell.edu/about/news/study-breaks-stress-busters#:~:text=Research%20shows%20that%20taking%20purposeful,productivity%2C%20and%20ability%20to%20focus.