From Stressed to Steady: Helping Students Build Resilience and Healthy Routines

TEENSSTUDENTSEDUCATORS
Written By Taylor Locke-Ribble, Registered Psychotherapist

With the right strategies, students can move through stressful moments without losing their balance.

You can’t always control what happens in your day, but you can control how you take care of yourself through it. Whether it’s taking a deep breath before your next class, being mindful of getting enough sleep, or stepping out for a quick walk around the block, small choices add up and they can make a big difference in how you handle daily stress.

Stress is part of being human, especially for students. This may show up before an exam, during a busy week of juggling academics and personal commitments, or even after an argument with a friend. In small amounts, stress can even serve a purpose, it can motivate you prepare for what is to come or to focus on your work. However, when stress becomes constant or overwhelming, it can begin to interfere with learning, relationships, and overall emotional well-being [3].

Why Student Stress Matters

Stress can impact the body’s physical and emotional responses to external stressors. While short-term stress can motivate students, chronic stress often has the opposite effect. When students exist in consistent periods of high stress, their bodies begin to release cortisol, which is a hormone in the body that impacts energy and alertness. When there is a build up of cortisol, it can impact the immune system, impact memory, and increase anxiety and irritability [3]. Teens are particularly vulnerable to cortisol as their brains are still developing ways to regulate their emotions and stress responses. When teens experience stress it impacts both cognitive and emotional functioning, as a result they often experience stress for longer than someone more experienced in emotional regulation who can quickly calm themselves. Prolonged stress often goes deeper than just impacting an individual’s mood and behaviour, there can be physical manifestations of stress. Students may become irritable, experience changes in sleep, headaches, stomach aches, and may notice changes in their ability to engage in day to day tasks. It is important that students to pay attention to both physical and emotional changes during moments of stress [1].

The Importance of Routine

Consistency is an important skill for students to develop, while also being an underrated coping tool. When students develop routines for sleep, nutrition, self-care and study time, it helps their body to expect when to rest, when to fuel and when to be productive. This predictability helps to reduce decision fatigue and increase safety, which positively impacts stress [2].

Sleep

Meaningful and restful sleep is important for mental and physical health, however teens are often among the most sleep deprived. It is recommended that teens sleep between 8-10 hours, and even more for younger students [1]. Practicing mindfulness around bedtime can positively impact sleep, this may look like stretching, reading, reducing screen time and caffeine. These small changes can help to signal to the body it is time to rest.

Nutrition and movement

Stress may impact appetite and energy, but maintaining balanced meals and an hour of regular physical activity helps support mood regulation and reduces stress hormones [1].

If an hour doesn’t accessible to you, short walks or quick stretches between class, can support students in refocusing and grounding themselves in the present moment. Similarly, when students are consistent in fuelling their bodies, it can help to maintain their blood sugar, which positively impacts emotional regulation and focus [1].

Downtime matters too

If you take one thing from this blog post, let it be that rest is not laziness, it is vital for recovery. Students need time to rest, recuperate and engage in self-care and social interaction. When students are able to lean into unstructured time, it allows them to reset and foster emotional flexibility. Parents and educators can support downtime by modelling balanced routines and communicating the importance of prioritizing rest. This may look like encouraging students to unplug, spend time outdoors, or engage in quiet time. As a whole rest and routine offers something that stress does not, predictability. When students know what to expect, they can better prepare and lean into their coping strategies.

Daily Strategies to cope with stress

Healthy coping doesn’t mean ignoring or eliminating stress altogether, it means learning how to address and respond to it effectively. This may look like starting small and building up to bigger changes as you feel settled.

Here are five strategies you can use to help manage daily stress:

  • Breathing exercises don’t have to be time consuming. Simple grounding techniques can help to regulate your nervous system. When you take slow deep breaths, it can help relax your body by lowering your heart rate [2]

    Try this: Practice a “mindful minute”, when you go to switch activities, whether it be school or work, focus on you breathing and pay attention to the sensations coming up in your body. What do you feel?

    When you pay attention to your mind/body connection, it can help to reduce stress and positively impact focus [2].

  • Sometimes it may feel like you are balancing it all, school, extracurriculars, friendships, it can certainly feel overwhelming. Taking time to plan your schedule can help you determine if you need to hold boundaries with yourself or others. Should you say yes to that extra night out? Or do you need to stay in to rest.

    Try this: Map our your calendar starting by month, this will give you a full picture of what you have to work towards. Start each week by creating a week view, and revisit it each morning. Having a clear idea of what you have to complete, can help reduce stress.

    However, studying isn’t the only important activity for students, boundaries around study and rest can help support school/life balance and prevents burnout.

  • We encourage students to practice self-care in whatever way feels meaningful for them. However, engaging in expressive outlets such as journalling, listening to music or enjoying time in nature are often ways to support behavioural activation and feelings of accomplishment. Additionally, research has shown that journalling about positive experiences or engaging in gratitude exercises can positively impact symptoms of anxiety and depression [1].

    Try this: Put on your favourite music (or sit quietly, this is experience is what you make it) and set a timer for 5 minutes. Write about your day, the good and the bad. At the end of your 5 minutes, read your entry. What stands out to you? End with gratitude, what are you grateful for in your day.

  • Given the pressures of social media and constant connectivity, students benefit from “screen breaks.” Limiting nighttime screen use supports better sleep and reduces overstimulation, both of which can ease stress and improve mood.

  • If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed or stressed, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether you are talking with a friend, parent, therapist or a trusted educator, other perspectives can lead to problem-solving and emotional support [1].

    Try this: Think about who you would reach out to if you were in need of support? Why did you pick that person. Do they create emotional safety or give great advice? Maybe you are thinking of more formal support. No matter who you choose, remember in moments of stress you are not alone.

Final Thoughts

Stress may always be a part of life, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Stress will likely always be a part of student life, however with a focus on developing healthy coping strategies, routine and rest, students can learn to control it. With increased emotional awareness, students will be able to address stress earlier, more effectively leaning on their coping toolbox. These changes not only support their academic performance, but their overall health and well-being.

As Jon Kabat-Zinn said, “We can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

Taylor Locke-Ribble, Registered Psychotherapist https://newhorizonspsychotherapy.com
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