BlueSky Online School: Stress

Showing posts with label Stress. Show all posts

A 2010 study by the American Psychological Association found that one-fifth of children worry a great deal.

That's 20% of kids!!

Stress is the reaction to the demands placed on us, and kids these days have a lot of demands.

School, sports, extracurricular activities, community and church programs, homework, illness, and many more stressors are part of our students' everyday lives.

Just the sheer overscheduling that many teens deal with is enough to cause stress. Going from school, to practice, to homework, and then straight to bed, doesn't leave much time to relax, unwind, and allow for stress relief!

So, how can parents help their children deal with stress? Here are few strategies:

Stop the over scheduling! It's ok to not be on every sports team. It's ok to not have an after school activity every day of the week! Leave some free time for kids to relax and let off some steam.
Get some rest! The National Sleep Foundation has found that most teens need 9.25 hours of sleep per night to be able to perform at their best. Make sleep a priority!
Eat your veggies! Nutrition is a huge factor in the stress level of teens. The rollercoaster that a diet high in sugar and processed foods can cause, increases stress levels immensely. Avoiding sugar and caffeine also means avoiding the crash that can come from such foods. Remember what Michael Pollan says "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Talk about it! Kids learn by watching their parents. So parents should model how they deal with stress effectively in front of their kids. And parents and kids should talk about stressful situations.

The students at BlueSky Online are very lucky. Not only do they have their parents to help them with stress, each student also has a three-person team looking out for them! The Students Services Advisor, Social Worker, and Counselor that make up the three-person teams are all ready and able to help students with their stress level.

As a Student Services Advisor, helping students deal with stress is part of my every day.

Students: Are you feeling stressed? Reach out to your parents and your Student Services Advisor!

And make sure to eat your veggies and go to bed on time :)