A Parent’s Guide to Managing and Reducing Student Stress

A certain amount of stress in life is unavoidable. Moderate amounts of stress related to specific events—like an important test, game, or performance—can even motivate students to do their best under pressure. But what should you do if your student seems chronically stressed out? Whether in or out of the classroom, in-person, or in an online school environment, here are some signs to look for and ways to help your student manage stress.

Understanding the Causes of Student Stress

Many factors can affect your child’s well-being. Here’s a list of major stressors that you’ll want to be aware of:

Bullying

This can happen in person or online and can be one of the biggest stressors in a child’s life.

Peer Pressure

An ever-present force throughout life, learning to navigate their social scene can be stressful for kids.

Sensory Distractions

Students are sometimes overwhelmed with sensory input in public learning spaces. Some families choose online schooling to better control their student’s learning environment.

Social Relationships

The drama of cliques and dating can add an entirely new form of stress into student lives.

Safety

Sadly, concerns about school violence are another very real form of stress for today’s students.

Recognizing Signs of Stress in Your Student

Though we all react differently to stressful situations, here are some common reactions that could signal trouble:

Changes in appetite.

In the short term, stress suppresses the appetite. Prolonged stress has the opposite effect. Long-term stress releases cortisol, which increasesappetite.

Withdrawal from activities and friends.

Students may lose motivation or feel they’re not good enough for people and things they once enjoyed.

Irritability and impatience.

Children experience strong emotions. Not knowing how to deal with these feelings, they often become moody and lash out at those around them.

Bedwetting.

Stress doesn’t cause a child to wet the bed, but some manifestations of stress—seeking comfort by eating salty snacks (that cause water retention) and sleep deprivation can make bedwetting worse in a child who is already prone to the problem.

Sleep problems.

Stress puts the mind on overdrive. This can cause insomnia, nightmares, resistance to going to bed, or not wanting to sleep alone.

Attempts to get out of school.

Frequent trips to the school nurse and/or complaining that they “feel sick” in the morning are common symptoms of stress. If kids try to get out of school on the day of an important exam, that can be a red flag for academic stress.

Unusual and unexplained crying spells.

Stress causes frustration. Younger kids especially may react to this frustration by bursting into tears.

Stomach aches and digestive problems.

The fight-or-flight reaction triggered by stress causes a surge in adrenaline that primes the body to react to danger. Energy is diverted from “non-essential” functions such as digestion to the heart and muscles.

Excessive worry and negative thoughts.

In older students, frequent statements such as “What if I don’t get into a good college?” or “What if I don’t get into the Honor Society?” can be signs of academic stress.

Drop in grades.

Often, stress results from being overscheduled or taking classes that are beyond a student’s ability. Grades often suffer as a result.

How Does Stress Affect Student Learning?

When we experience prolonged forms of stress, the brain overextends fight or flight reactions leading to agitation, decreased focus, aggressive or impulsive behavior, and

difficulty switching between subjects or concepts. Stress can also cause social issues that impact behavior and performance in the classroom and self-esteem struggles that keep children from trying their best. Left unchecked, stress increases the risk of anxiety or even anxiety disorders.

Stress Reduction Techniques for Students

So how do we mitigate harmful stress? Here are a few ideas:

• Maintain consistent, open communication
• Remind them that imperfect is ok—everyone is unique
• Encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle
• Support positive, creative expression
• Practice relaxation techniques together
• Spend more time in nature
• Avoid adding adult-level stress, such as financial concerns, on the shoulders of children
• Put free-time and fun activities on the schedule
• Talk through issues to develop skills for proactive solutions
• Encourage older kids to start keeping a journal to help process thoughts

A safe, comfortable environment is the best way to encourage learning and reduce harmful stress. For many students, online school helps them tailor learning to their needs, reducing stress and improving learning outcomes.

To learn more about K12-powered online schools, go to K12.com.