Stress Management Prime Time: Key Points

This February, our school had another session of Prime Time. Prime Time is this presentation series McCall does where some staff members discuss important, serious topics with students on a zoom video. Kids fill out worksheets, listen to the adults, and watch videos. At the end, the papers go to some teachers, and McCall Middle Schoolers fill out some surveys. Topics normally include mental health. Earlier in the year, we had one on bullying. This time, though, it was on stress management. Here is a list of the good key points from this presentation!

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1. Be careful what you say over text. Sometimes, we are told, that we forget the person we are texting is a real person. However, even if we remember, we can still say not nice things. Make sure that you are feeling secure before you respond to any messages.

2. Do not practice avoidance. Avoiding your stress or problems is a temporary fix- and it usually makes things worse. Ghosting friends you are worried about, turning to substances, and running away from issues in general is never a good idea.

3. Taking breaks is fine, however. If you are feeling overwhelmed, it is important to practice self-care and giving yourself a reasonable amount of time to relax. You will find that you feel more prepared to face what is coming afterwards.

4. The staff at McCall is here to help. When you are having trouble at school, in any sort of way, you can reach out to the adults there. Teachers, guidance counselors, and anyone you trust are ready to help. 

5. You should not overuse screens. Social media, video games, and other electronics can be fun and relieving when used a reasonable amount. However, extensively not interacting with others is proven to have a negative affect on your mental health. If you are on a call, or having a positive interaction over text, it is okay. 

6. Even if you are going through a stressful time, never resort to bullying. The staff did bring up bullying again a little during the talk. They reminded us that bullies often have a stressful situation in their lives that causes them to cause harm... and that our own unhandled stress could make us bullies too. Obviously, no one should be a bully. Also, though, that is another reason to practice self-care. It will help you be nicer.

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Overall, the hosts made some very good points. I am glad that they talked about it stress management. The presentation was probably not on as grave of an issue as last time, but it was important nonetheless.