School pressures can lead to greater anxiety

High school homework, college prep, and constant new drama have pushed students’ stress past normal boundaries and into chronic burnout; what used to be seen as an issue affecting only grown ups is now a daily reality for teenagers balancing academics, extracurriculars, and their personal life.

Junior Aubrey Zielinski said, “There was a time this year that I didn’t really know what was happening with my mental health and couldn’t have a break because I kept telling myself to push through it, and it was really hard for me and was overwhelming.” 

Regarding what teachers can do to help, Zielinski said, “Giving less work and also just checking in because not a lot of teachers do it, or raising my hand for a while, but the teacher doesn’t come for a long time.” 

 When it comes to what stresses her out the most. Zielinski said, “I would say my grades and family expectations because they expect the best from me, and the pressure becomes more and more, and that causes my grades to lower because of the stress.”

Counselor Carrie Dieken said signs of anxiety’s impact might include, “students who suddenly have less motivation to succeed, grades might slip or they suddenly are not showing up to things, school, events that they normally would have.” 

For those who find themselves with growing anxiety, Dieken said, “Self-care is actually about self-awareness and knowing your own boundaries, setting those boundaries, and respecting them.  Knowing yourself and what you can take on realistically.”

For the students struggling with burnout, it’s a weight that turns school classes and sports into a big stress where every update on grades and deadlines feels like a pressure to “push through.”

The same students who feel that pressure are told to also practice self-care or to manage their time better, when the teachers finally realize that the heavy workloads don’t make their students feel confident in their skills but make the anxiety worse, is when there might be a change.