Teens stressed out more than ever this school year 

Stress is not something that should be taken lightly and being a teen in today's society is definitely not as easy as adults think. Even before Covid hit students have said that school has affected their mental health immensely. What makes it worse is that now many students have to attend school online and don't have the same advantages as they did attending in person everyday. 

Stress can lead to anxiety and depression. Many teens report experiencing stress at unhealthy levels, appear uncertain in their stress management techniques, and experience symptoms of stress in numbers that mirror adults experiences. 

When a student becomes overwhelmed with so much stress it not only drains them physically but also mentally which is extremely unhealthy. 

Recent surveys of teens have shown that more than 60 percent of students who have taken the survey have had the outcome they hadn't hoped for. This is from a survey that the state of Virginia does every year to see increases or decreases in kids' health. Many people simply brush off stress as a headache that will go away, but that is not the case. Studies have shown that stress is just the start of depression and will continue to fester if not helped. Students have often said that they just need a second to compose themselves in order to stay focused but they can't when they have so much going on in their head.

NHS Guidance counselors Ms. McDonnell and Ms. Daigle shared some of their recommendations on how they feel students could cope with stress. 

“A big trigger for stress is when you have so much on your plate, and a lot of times it appears to be bigger than you think” said Ms. McDonnell. “Breaking down what seems like a monster into small doable parts, and being able to cross them out as you go can make things feel a little bit more attainable.” 

Ms. Daigle added, “if you have a schedule everyday it can make things easier when you have a structure to go off of.”

It appears that not just kids of Norwood are struggling. Brayden Mahoney from Canton High School said that “everyday I have new assignments on top of new assignments and it's wearing me out.” 

School was hard enough before but now “I'm losing motivation to do anything, day after day it's a constant struggle to stay motivated.”

“Ever since hybrid became a thing I feel like they have not given us much time to transition and prepare.” Says Rebecca Lavange, a student at Blue Hills Regional. 

"One day I'm at shop and the next thing I know I'm doing academics completely overwhelmed with the thought in my head that I will fail because of the lack of timing and preparation for the transition.” 

“I'm very overwhelmed with new assignments coming in everyday.” said Meghan Serratore, a student at Norwood High School. “I always feel this pressure to get everything done and sometimes it consumes me."