Your Stress is Valid
Life is tough,
but so are you
-Kid President
I ofter hear adults saying to teens "You're just a kid, what do you have to worry about. Wait until you're an adult, that's real stress". This has alway amused me, because it couldn't be further from the truth and I wonder what it must have been like when they were in school and why they can't seem to remember the stresses of high school.
Let's break down what some of the things high school students are supposed to be responsible for. Before you continue reading, ask yourself if you agree or disagree that high school students have a right to feel an overwhelming amount of stress. Make a mental note of your answer, and see if it changes once you've read this entire blog. I'm going to break down the average day for most high school students.
6 hours spent actually in school, going to classes
about 1 hour for an extra curricular (sports, clubs ect..)
approx. 3.5 hours spent on homework for all classes
the required 9 hours of sleep each teen should get
about 4 hours for a part-time job
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When you add this all up, that's a total of 23.5 hours.
With all these activities that is a part of the average teens life, this takes up 23.5 hours of their day. 23.5 hours out of a 24 hour day. Of course those hours depend on many things and that's not the same for each high school student. I don't know about you, but that shocks me. That means a teen has .5 of an hour left in the 24 hour day to go outside, be with family, focus on the social aspect of their lives. No wonder high school students stress so much, they have no time to focus on their mental health. Socialization is just as important as academics. Many people would disagree with me on that but of course one's mental health would deteriorate if they don't focus on their social life.
Not to mention being in high school is one of the toughest times to begin with. Dealing with peer pressure, trying to figure out who you are, it's a lot. It's confusing enough having to act like you have everything together and making decisions that will impact your entire life when you are still being treated like a child. High school, especially grade 12, hits you with the realization that you need to be preparing yourself for what's in store for the next chapter in your life. Many students stress about financial aspects of post-secondary educations. I'm glad I know y=Mx+b but do I know how to do taxes? Do I know how to invest in stocks? Do I know how to put a down payment on a house? Nope! We aren't being prepared. Yet, teens have nothing to worry about right?
Maybe you think I am being overly dramatic about the stresses that young people face, however I can't make these statistics up so here are just a few to show you how real this is.
-Nearly 80,000 children and young people suffer from severe depression
-The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s.
There is no doubt the youth is struggling with their mental health and I am not surprised at all. Clearly the numbers are increasing and I believe it would be beneficial to give high school students more coping methods, more support and there needs to be a way to ease all of the responsibilities they are give.
You can find more of these statistics and other information on why students are suffering mentally at this website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxiety-files/200804/how-big-problem-is-anxiety
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The quote at the top of this page "Life is tough, but so are you" was said by the inspirational Kid President. I felt this went perfectly when speaking about the stresses that teens face every day. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. I am a firm believer that you can overcome any obstacle in your life, that there is always a solution. People of all ages experience stress in their lives however I think it's time to stop telling teens that "they have nothing to worry about." Each time that is said, it silences teens and makes them believe their worries are not valid. This reduces the chances of them asking for help when they are overwhelmed. It only creates more of a problem.