Stress management
5 Tips for Dealing with Back to School Anxiety in College
The first day of college can seem like the perfect storm of back to school anxiety. Between not knowing where your classes are, not knowing the people in your class, and having no idea how or where you’re going to find time to be a human being, feelings of fear and stress can put you in a dark place. And if you’re like me, who has always struggled with anxiety, big life events like this…
Read More »5 Strategies for High Schoolers and First Day of School Worries
Teens aren’t always eager to share all their worries with their parents, but just because they haven’t said anything doesn’t mean they don’t have worries as they approach the start of the school year. High school can be a very stressful time: demanding academics, more responsibilities to juggle, a confusing social scene, and college and career on the horizon are all on their minds. If your teen isn’t open about her feelings, be on the…
Read More »5 Ways to Help Middle Schoolers Deal with Back to School Jitters
Middle school is complicated—just ask any tween. For kids who learn and think differently, the changes in routine and growing school demands can be even more stressful. Here are some things you can do ahead of time to help ease those first-day jitters for middle schoolers. 1. Talk about what’s scary. At this age, it can seem like kids think about themselves all the time, but that doesn’t mean they’re self-aware. They might not know…
Read More »6 Tips for Calming First Day Nerves in Elementary Schoolers
Summertime is often a much-needed break for kids from the demands and stresses of school. So when elementary schoolers have to head back to school, they may be especially nervous. You may not be able to remove all the anxiety, but here are some ways you can help calm your child’s first-day nerves. 1. Focus on feelings. Young kids don’t always have the words to express their emotions, and certain learning and thinking differences can…
Read More »BRYT: The Cambridge Program Helping Students Re-Enter School
in Boston Exam School, Mental Health, Parent-Child Advice, Special Accommodations, Stress management - 0 Comments
Ava had always felt comfortable at the small, private K-8 school she attended just north of Boston, but in high school everything changed. Ava first began to experience anxiety and depression after her parents divorced when she was still in grade school. These problems increased as she entered her teen years, and became even more severe in ninth grade, when she enrolled at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, a vast campus with nearly 2,000 students.…
Read More »Mindfulness in Schools: How Helpful Is It Really?
in Creativity, Culture, Mental Health, Stress management - 0 Comments
When kids at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School act up, they aren’t sent straight to the principal’s office. Instead, many students at the high-poverty school in Nashville go to the mindfulness room. The serene space is awash in sunlight and brimming with plants. There are yoga mats, toys, a lounging nook and soothing music drifting out of a desk speaker. In this room, teacher Riki Rattner, who is also trained as a yoga instructor, helps…
Read More »5 Top Tips for Motivating Students
in Culture, Mental Health, Parent-Child Advice, Stress management, Teachers - 0 Comments
Teachers can know their content backwards and forwards, and they probably put hours into their lesson plans. But if motivating students hasn’t been taken into account by parents and teachers, learning won’t happen. According to a new working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, a multidisciplinary research collaborative housed at Harvard University, childhood experiences may make motivation harder for some students. The paper takes a look at the machinery of motivation:…
Read More »Does Your Child Need Help Managing Anxiety?
in College Applications, Mental Health, Parent-Child Advice, Stress management - 0 Comments
The anxious thoughts of students aren’t always just passing worries; they’re becoming deeply rooted, widespread mantras for young people across America. Anxiety is the most common mental health challenge that young people today face, and it’s the top reason why students seek mental health services in colleges across the country. In severe cases, anxiety is stopping teens from doing homework, reaching out to friends, leaving their homes, and even leading to depressive and suicidal thoughts.…
Read More »Your Teen May Need Your Help with Sleep Problems
in Culture, Mental Health, Parent-Child Advice, Stress management, Time Management - 0 Comments
Studies show that the average teenager requires 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, but she typically only gets 7. It’s becoming more and more common for the normal life of the average American high schooler to interfere with sleep. In a recent poll of 2,000 parents, 1 in 6 said their teen experiences frequent sleep problems, here defined as “having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep 3 or more nights per week.” More…
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