How Therapy can Help Students with School Stress and Mental Health
Q&A with a Therapist about Student Mental Health
We spoke to Shakela Austin about student stress and mental health. Shakela offers services for life transitions, anxiety, stress management, and depression. Shakela works with teens, young adults, and adults as they cope with stressful situations and difficult life events.
Q: How can school stress be harmful to a student's mental health?
A: This is a great question and so important to acknowledge. Generally, stress can look like a lot of things to students.
It can affect many aspects of their life: social connections and events, wellness, and self-care (or lack of it). Students can experience stress because of time management and planning their lives, and it can be harmful if they feel like they cannot manage everyday tasks. Stress can be incredibly damaging if not addressed, as it can lead to burnout. Burnout can lead to neglecting physical health and needs and ignoring responsibilities of any kind.
Not addressing stress can lead to a lack of self-esteem for students. They may not feel good enough in their roles if they feel they are doing enough. This can lead to only living for achievements and taking failure personally when we all experience ‘fails’ to a certain level - we aren't perfect! However, this can continue into a cycle where students do not feel content with themselves. Then, they are stuck in this constant state of stress, anxiousness, and depressive emotions, which can impact daily life and decisions.
Q: Why is addressing stress that students face important for mental health?
A: Addressing stress is critical, as students face a lot of pressure in school.
Burnout from school-related commitments, whether course-related or social, can harm long-term physical and mental health. Once habits are created in adolescence, they are often hard to change once we reach more independence and responsibility in adulthood.
Students often view themselves as a “productivity machine,” meaning that they sometimes feel like if they take part in self-care or create firm boundaries, they are being ‘lazy’ and not focusing attention on what matters: school work. This can lead to not taking appropriate breaks and burnout that can manifest in many ways - both physically and mentally.
Q: What can be done to prevent school stress/student stress while at school?
A: There are many ways that students can manage and prevent stress while in or at school.
Although challenging for various reasons, trying not to leave things to the last minute can help stress levels. If you are typing your final paper at 10pm when it is due at 11:59pm, chances are you are just throwing words on the page, which may not come across as coherent, leading to further stress. Managing your time is tricky but can save you in the long run. Time management helps not just students at the moment but prepares them for the future, so you know how to prioritize tasks at hand.
Another time management aspect would be learning to say no and creating boundaries. Yes, the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) is real, but managing expectations and prioritizing what matters most is critical regarding boundaries. FOMO exists in every realm of life, but choosing not to go out or attend social gatherings because you need rest is crucial to mental health and health practices.
Lastly, incorporating self-care into your everyday life is essential! Making this not a chore is critical. We can avoid making self-care feel boring by doing things we like doing, which means it can be ANYTHING!
Q: How can family/friends offer support?
A: Friends and family should be mindful of requests to students and consider that they have a lot going on and may not be able to show up as themselves.
Although friends and family are great support systems, recognizing that the students in their lives may be trying to set boundaries to preserve their energy is essential. It is also to be realistic about the expectations you ask of a student. Many are juggling school work, extra-curricular activities, commutes, and social events; they may not feel up for everything you suggest! If they need to rest, that is as important as hanging out or completing a task - you can’t pour from an empty cup!
Cultural influences or expectations may be forced on students, such as having a family-first attitude. This can lead to further blurred boundaries, which create more stress in certain situations. Acknowledging that school life is important allows students to prioritize everything when they have the chance.
Q: When is the best time for someone to seek support or assistance?
A: If you feel overwhelmed or unable to manage your thoughts, that is a great time to reach out for support.
If you feel at risk of unsafe behaviour, such as self-harming tendencies or suicidal ideation, it is also critical that you (alone or with support) reach out to the appropriate services for help. If you feel negative, scattered, or just stressed, those are also vital signs to look for.
Regarding physical symptoms, signs such as chest pain, breathing discrepancies, headaches, sleep issues or rumination can be linked to mental health concerns. If these symptoms persist, going to your doctor is a good idea.
Q: What can therapy do for you?
A: Therapy can do a lot for students!
Therapists can help identify positive sources of self-care and work with students to create self-care plans. These likely will include coping skills and various tools for different environments they find themselves in. Additionally, therapists can work with students to decide when a plan is needed and what other strategies may need to be implemented.
Therapy can also allow students to discuss when they should reach out to help when struggling and how to check in with themselves when experiencing stress. This also allows students to work on self-awareness with their therapist; knowing how we feel is key to deciding when to reach out for help and the best way.
You can also learn how to manage stress and reframe negative thoughts into actions that make you feel mentally better.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.♡
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And sometimes, love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
