Mental health influences how you socialise and motivate yourself academically. The majority of college-age students and teenagers face poor mental health and a lot of stress that makes high school an absolute nightmare. 

Researchers have proven that a moderate amount of stress can be beneficial and encourage students to succeed, but too much stress can adversely impact their overall health. The problem of depression and anxiety is so entrenched in the school community that 70% of students report it as a “major problem.” 

A person’s mental health is determined by their moods and how they react to life’s circumstances. A healthy emotional state will enable students to overcome obstacles, minimise stress, and approach challenges confidently. You can achieve this mental state by practising mindfulness. The Yours App is one of the best apps that provide daily mindfulness and meditation guides right at your fingertips. Students can become less distracted, more focused, and more engaged when studying by practicing mindfulness. 

Factors Contributing To Stress in Students

Chronic stress can reduce academic performance, cause students to drop out of school, and decrease motivation. Many factors often cause students to feel stressed. Here are some of them:

Academic Pressure

The academic pressure resulting from tackling challenging assignments stresses students. In addition, parents and teachers demand better performance from students. In turn, they work tirelessly, causing them to become stressed out. 

Financial Stress

A recent study indicates that students are also affected by financial stress due to lack of money. They are often concerned about rising tuition fees and scholarships funds because they lack financial security.

Dating

Dating is an issue that afflicts high school and college students. Some try their luck through dating, while others fail or are rejected. The mating process is said to cause stress in many students due to the complexities involved.

Unfamiliar Environment

Students moving to secondary or higher schools have difficulty accepting the change. It is a mental challenge for them to leave their home or familiar environment and start at a completely new high school. Some students even develop homesickness due to this, causing them stress.

Mental Health Among Students: Why Does It Matters?

As children and adolescents grow up, mental health issues become more prevalent. Students should become familiar with mental health in any way they can. There are several reasons why students should care about their mental health, and here are some of them: 

Impact on Physical Health

Having poor mental health can adversely affect our physical health. The majority of students are unaware of how to manage their mental health. Due to this, they are more likely to develop physical ailments as they age. Mental health problems can contribute to chronic fatigue, abnormal levels of stress hormones, and insomnia.

Higher Rates of Suicide 

In children, teens, and young adults (10-34), suicide is the second leading cause of death. Research shows that 90 % of people who commit suicide exhibit mental illness before they die, but only 46% are medically diagnosed. This is another crucial reason students need to learn about managing their mental health.

Impacts on Learning and Achievement

Not enough students realise how poor mental health impacts academic performance. Mentally ill students and adolescents may have difficulty learning. Their concentration and completion of tasks may also be affected. Also, these students tend to fail more classes and take leaves from school. Students with mental health issues have a lower chance of graduating. They also have a hard time attending or completing postsecondary education.

Higher Risk of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is undeniably linked to poor mental health. A large number of students cope with stress by using drugs and alcohol. They will cope with stress better if they learn about mental health. Thus, young people will turn to drugs and alcohol less often.

Five Effective Ways to Deal with Stress

You can work on strengthening your mental health throughout student life (or any other stage in your life). Consider these tips for improving your mental health:

Time Management

You can alleviate stress through time management, leading to improved mental health. Various techniques can help improve time management. You can set realistic goals, schedule your day in time blocks, create a to-do list based on priorities, and establish time limits for certain tasks. Review what you’ve accomplished each day and create your list for the next day. 

Stay Organised

Staying organised has a positive psychological impact, and disorganisation can lead to stress and depression. Clutter and unfinished work can drain your energy. A better organisation could reduce stress, improve sleep, reduce depression, and help in making better decisions. 

Donate

You can feel happy and reduce stress by volunteering and helping others. Donating doesn’t have to take up much time. Consider donating food or raising funds for a foundation. 

Maintain a Sleep Cycle

A lack of sleep can destabilise your hormones. We gain energy from sleep by regulating hormones like serotonin and dopamine, necessary for good mental health. If you face trouble falling asleep, try taking a bath, meditating through Yours App, powering down electronics, creating a bedtime routine, or creating a bedtime ritual. 

Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness helps reduce the unnecessary thoughts running through your head and promotes mental clarity. Yours App can help you craft the perfect self-care routine. We have a team of expert psychologists who provide you with music, meditations, and sleep stories so you can renew your body, mind, and soul. You can gradually increase your meditation time by starting with a few minutes a day, and you will eventually reap the physical and emotional benefits of meditation. 

Conclusion

The life of a student can be challenging. As a result of stress, your body can shut down due to the “fight or flight” response. Poor mental health and chronic stress are frequently linked to assignments, sleep deprivation, over-scheduling, and parental pressure. Physical and mental well-being can be negatively affected by this.

Yours App will help students improve their mental health and create better habits. This will relieve the stress you feel regularly and allow you to enjoy the remaining time at high school.