Examination fever, high requirements and a need to fit in means a big pressure for many youngsters in school today. Several students complain more often about headache, stomachpains and tiredness, typical symptoms for stress.

The struggle for time is growing more and more. Nowadays stress is no longer only associated with adults. According to the school-nurse Marina Sundefors at Parkskolan students now and then come to her with stress-related symptoms. Stress is more common among girls then boys. It seems easier for boys to not take everything so serious. Those teenagers who want high grades in many subjects easily stress themselves to death. The main victims are persons who are ambitious, competitive and restless.

A student stressed over schoolwork

High expectations
A questionnaire made on Parkskolan shows that youngsters today often feel a big pressure on themselves to accomplish as much as possible. They also feel a pressure from school, parents and from the modern society we live in. At an upper secondary school level the consciousness of how important it is to get a good education to manage in the future increases and so does also the students own responsibility in school. Every person also has a need to be seen and listened to, a need to feel important. No one want’s to be left behind. -Many factors come in to play in a stressed persons life, says Marina Sundefors. It’s not only because of school that stress develops, an active private-life also has a meaning. Many youngsters have many things they want to catch up with like friends, boy/girlfriends, family and hobbies, you name it. The economical situation can in some cases also be contributory factor to stress. It’s common to explain stress by saying that a person has passed the limit for his/ her own capacity to endure strain. It’s easy to fall in the bad circle but very hard to get out of on your own. All the requirements become too much for many youth and they feel even worse.

Symptoms
A person who has difficulties to prioritise and say no to some things is in the danger zone for stress, claims Marina Sundefors. Stress is psychological experiences which are reflected in the body’s reactions. Headache, stomachpain and constant tiredness are very common symptoms., but stressed people can also feel depressed, sensitive, irritated, stiff in neck and shoulders and get difficulties to concentrate. Problems with food and sleep can also follow. These symptoms are clear signs of that everything isn’t what it’s supposed to be and it’s not getting better until you look for help. Stress is however a passing inconvenience in most cases but long termed stress can lead to a depression. If the stress turns in to a depression the whole learning can be blocked. This has already affected 14 000 Swedish teenagers according to an article in the evening paper Expressen.

Change lifestyle
Some changes can be necessary if you want to feel better. You have to listen to your body and take the signals seriously. Try to prioritise and unwind. You can’t do more than you really have time for if you also want to live a good life. A great thing to solve many problems with is to talk with someone else about it and in that way get help with what you have to do about it. The first thing you can start with is to think positively and to try to figure out what is bad and what is causing the stress. You have to put your own needs first. That healthy food, sleep and exercise is important for the well-being is quite well-known. To practise relaxation and to take care of your friendship relations can also help, says Marina Sundefors. So the question is, are you like many other youngsters today living a very stressful life?


© 2001 Freeway
Writers: Linn Nystrom (sp03-40@park.se) and Marlene Naslund(sp03-41@park.se).
HTML by: Malin Edlund (te03-25@park.se).