Middle Years 

Dealing with stressful events

Over the past three weeks I’ve spent time moving house. Some people say this is one of the most stressful life events… I tend to agree. This experience made me think about how best to deal with stressful events, particularly for our Middle Years students. With events such as exams, busy assessment times, transition etc, stress is a common feeling for students. Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, who specialises in the mind-body connection of stress, argues that rather than viewing stress as toxic and something that should be avoided, stress should be viewed as an asset that helps us focus to meet a challenge. It can encourage us to reach out to others for support and our body’s stress response exists to help us learn from our experiences. Stressful situations can ultimately make us stronger and smarter. 

She suggests that, in order to embrace stress we should:

• Exercise Regularly - exercise gives us an endorphin rush along with courage and hope. It also primes the brain for connection. The neurotransmitters we release after exercise enhance the warm glow we get from being social, harking back to the days when our ancestors depended on collaborative hunting and gathering for survival.
• Focus on Breathing - breathing exercises are a great way to cope with moments of acute stress such as right before an exam, but can also help manage longer-lasting stress.
• Listen to Music – can help calm ourselves down or stimulate our mind depending on what is needed in the moment.
• Reach out for Support - relationships with teachers, counsellors, and mentors can be a great source of information and resources. Relationships with friends and parents can also provide emotional and practical support and ensure you have what you need to succeed.
• Get Enough Sleep – this maximises productivity, learning and concentration, allowing students to function at their best.
• Use Mindfulness – this is one that I never used to find useful until recently. This got me through moving! Being aware of how you are feeling, observing your reactions, and accepting these feelings without judgment.

All Middle Years students should start to view stress as something that makes them stronger and smarter. With the Year 7s off canoeing on the Glenelg River, this view of stress might come in useful.

Ben Hawthorne

Head of Middle Years