Having back to school stress and anxiety? You are not alone, especially during this pandemic. Our teens are more stressed than ever. According to data collected by American Psychological Association, teen stress can be as serious as adult’s when they are going through the school year. This post can help teenagers or parents of teenagers learn more about school stress and how to beat it! If you are interested, keep reading!

Causes of Teenage back to School Stress

School can provide amazing opportunities for learning and socializing in children and teens. Although this seems like a truly positive experience, a teenager’s school experience does not always turn out that way. In reality, going to school can be quite stressful and anxiety-provoking for teens. There are many reasons for this difficulty.

Academic Stress 

The APA survey in 2017 showed that 83% reported the biggest teenage stress is school, followed by 69% about getting into a good college or deciding what to do after high school.

Whether it is homework assignment, GPA, tests, AP classes, SAT scores, or applying to college, teens experience high levels of school-related stress. Many teens worry about their academic performance, meeting academic demands, pleasing teachers and parents, and being competitive among peers. Very often, procrastination, poor time management, and perfectionism affect student’s work and become overwhelming for them to deal with.

As we know, school is for learning, in the first place. While education and learning are two of the most vital things humans can have, the overall process can be daunting. teens have to follow a 6 hour long, back-to-back class schedule. The constant flow of new information being taught can be a lot for teenagers to take in. The endless hours spent studying, the sleepless nights, and the immense pressure all weigh down on adolescents.

This is especially true for teenagers with learning disabilities or difficulties. Teens with ADHD, for example, can face challenges in the classroom. According to researchers, teens with ADHD can face lower rates of motivations, decreased ability to focus, and lower toleration for frustration.

Social Stress during the Pandemic

Making friends is such an important part of being in school. When a teenager struggles doing so, each day can be very lonely and depressing. Finding people to connect with can be quite a challenge, especially for shy teens. In addition, bullying or teasing also affect teenagers in very harmful ways.

In light of the pandemic, these struggles have become even more prevalent. Studies have shown that the school closures and stay-at-home mandates really affected kids and teens. They were not able to see their friends face-to-face or meet new people other than behind a screen. This increased feelings of loneliness and isolation in youth.

COVID-19 increased mental health rates in adolescents, especially LGBTQ+ students and POC students who face higher risks.  

Stress with Self-Identity and Self-Esteem

Growing up, it can be challenging to feel good about yourself 24/7. As stated in our most recent article, in these time your body is changing, you are discovering who you are, and you are comparing yourself to others all throughout the process. 

This period of time can be challenging for youth to go through. Furthermore, the negative factors can have harmful effects on their self-esteem and confidence.

Low self-esteem makes you feel lesser than others or even completely worthless. People with low self-esteem talk and think negatively about themselves. Constant self-criticism can lead to depression, anxiety, anger, shame, body image problems, and more. 

Self-Esteem is important for teenagers. Studies suggest that high self-esteem can protect teens from procrastination and promote higher academic achievement.  

Stress and Anxiety Faced by LGBTQ+ Youth

Youth who identify as LGBTQIA+ can face many risks. The Trevor Project from 2020 reported that youth with less LGBTQ+-affirming spaces (school, home, work, community events) reported increased rates of suicide attempts and ideation. 

In another report about AAPI LGBTQ Youth, it showed that API Transgender and Non-binary youth were three times more likely to attempt suicide than cisgender API. Also, 71% of transgender AAPI said they faced daily harassment. 

Challenges POC Teens Face

The experience of POC teens can differ greatly from those of white adolescents. The Conversation wrote a piece called “What it means to be black in the American educational system.” In this article, the journey of a young, black student is told. Throughout Tyrone’s story, the problems black students face in the school system is highlighted. 

Some of the issues were: higher suspension rates, unfair punishments in school, underrepresentation and discrimination in college, microaggressions, etc. 

The actions a black child gets in trouble for may be ignored or glossed over when a white student does the same. Black girls and women, in particular, face unfair stereotypes of being aggressive. School is challenging enough without discrimination being inflicted on innocent students.

Signs of Back to School Stress

Stress can manifest in different ways. Some symptoms of teenage stress mimic normal teen behavior. In particular, many teens may struggle with high stress that interfere with learning, relationships, and even daily functioning. Therefore, it’s important for both teens and parents to know what signs to watch when it comes to teen stress:

• Physically, teens may complain of headaches, stomachaches, and other aches and pains. They may get sick more often, and present as “lazy”, which usually indicates low energy.

• Emotionally, teens may appear frustrated, sad, agitated, anxious, and/or depressed. Some may even seem “meaner” than before.
• Behaviorally, teens may have change in eating or sleeping habits, withdraw, isolate in their room, or act out.
• Cognitively, teens may be more forgetful, present as careless, or have a hard time staying concentrated.

Teenage Stress Management for Successful Back to School

Here are some tips teens can use to have a great school year. If you are a teenager, we hope these suggestions are helpful for you. If you are a parent, help your child implement some of these tasks in their daily live.

First, Finding Your School Style

As a teen, you may not be able to control the structure of each school day, but you can decide how you want to study or tackle assignments. Teenagers learn in all unique ways. Find a way that works best for you!

Start by trying out different work methods. Here are some ideas to consider:

Homework style:

• Doing your homework right when school ends
• Taking a break to eat and rest before completing your assignments
• Talking with a friend and working alongside each other
• Taking timed breaks between each assignment; for example, Sarah does her history homework, takes a 15 minute break, then moves on to her math assignment

Study Style:

• Studying by yourself in silence
• Studying while listening to music
• Joining a study group with other students
• Making flashcards
• Watching  informative videos 
• Receiving help from a tutor

These are just some ways teenagers approach their homework and studying. Try out different ways of doing so and remember that there is not one, singular way to complete a task. If you don’t like studying in silence, try listening to classical music while you do so. If you are a more visual learner, try finding informative videos to consume rather than making flashcards. 

Second, Socializing with Peers

As mentioned before, socializing is important for adolescents. If you struggle making friends, try these tips:

• Be vocal about your passions and interests, you never know who will have the same ones as you
• If you find that someone else is alone, try introducing yourself to them. They may be looking for a new friend, as well
• Join clubs or sport that interest you – you might meet some people you can relate to
• For LGBTQ+ youths, see if your school has a GSA program that you can be a part of to meet other queer peers
• Participate in class – people will start to know your name and recognize you from class
• Ask other students if they’d like to create a study group 

The most important thing to remember is to be yourself! You are always good enough and deserve to find people who like you for the real you, not a facade you hide behind. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken!” 

Third, Take Care of Yourself When You Go Back to School

One way to thrive during this school year is to take good care of yourself mentally and physically. Speaking kindly to yourself is one way to do so. In Try practicing positive affirmations!

In simple terms, positive affirmations are encouraging thoughts that are meant to improve the way people think about themselves and their situation. Moreover, here are some affirmations a teenager can say before school:

“I am…”

• enough
• a great student
• trying my best, and my best is always good enough
• more than a bad test score
• a great friend to have
• perfectly and uniquely myself

It is also important to take care of yourself physically. This can include:

• Getting enough sleep 
• Going to sleep at a reasonable time each night
• Eating healthy meals 
• Not skipping breakfast
• Getting your body moving: walking, stretching, dancing, swimming, etc.
• Taking breaks when you need to rest

Fourth, Spread Kindness to Others

As important as it is to be kind to ourselves, it is also important to share this compassion with others. If you are a teenager, help out other teens in need. Be a friend to those who seem lonely, invite people to sit with you at lunch, stand up for peers getting teased, and spread kindness to all.

If you are a parent, teach your teens about the importance of empathy. Empathy is all about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and seeing things from their perspective. This is an important skill for children to develop – this will make them better friends and peers to others. 

Ways to Promote Empathy in Teens

Expose them to diverse media – representation matters! All people should be represented in TV shows, books, stories, etc. Moreover, share books or watch shows with your children that include LGBTQ+ and POC topics/characters

Also, talk to your teenagers about important topics. Teens notice differences amongst things like skin tone, at a young age – research suggests this can start as early as infancy. It is never too early to have these discussions! Instill in your teen that differences are to be embraced and are what make us special! Remind them to treat everyone with kindness and support.

Fifth, Seek Support and Help

Do not be afraid of asking for help! We all need hep from time to time – this does not make you weak, it makes you human!

If you need help in school, reach out to a parent, trusted teacher, or counselor! You do not have to face anything alone! If you are being bullied, that is never ok! Reach out for help when instances like this occur.

If you are a parent, remind your teen that they have a safe space with you and that they can always go to you in times of crisis.

A therapist can also help you feel supported. Therapy can help you with a wide range of topics. Through these sessions, a therapists can help you boost your self-esteem, deal with the school stress, talk through feelings of isolation and loneliness, and more. Mind Connections wants to help you, reach out to us to learn more about our services!

Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June Cao