Trauma Essay: School-related Stress Management
There are many sources of school-related stress. Stress is an important aspect of everyday life. It propels individuals to work hand and become productive. However, too much of stress can be disastrous since it leads to health breakdown, sadness, anxiety, broken relationships, diseases and even death (Torsheim & Wold, 2001a). Casey’s stress could be due to experiential, spiritual, psycho-dynamic, rational, biological, social or cultural reasons (Kraag et al., 2006). In order to handle Casey’s case, it is good to understand the possible causes of her stress by analyzing her daily life with her mother.
For students in the adolescent category, stress may be caused by biological reasons (Kraag et al., 2006). In this case, the cause of the stress is due to biological composition of Casey’s body. This could be due to the interaction between the food she eats and the environment she lives in. The biological causes of Casey’s could be hormonal imbalances due to growth and development, changing in the shape of her body or self-esteem relating to her appearances (Torsheim & Wold, 2001a). Additionally, it could also be because of poor diet, lack of fitness, reactions with the foods she eats, chemical imbalances within the body.
The causes of her stress could also be due to social and cultural reasons (Kraag et al., 2006). Maybe, Casey has a new boyfriend or has been left by a close friend or boyfriend. Such changes in the social circumstances can induce stress in Casey. The stress could also be due to her need to cope with her personality traits. Maybe Casey is an introvert and you want her to behave like an extrovert. It is also likely that she feels neglected or hated. Girls love praises in order to feel loved and welcome. Her stress could also be due to lack of support from the family. The family needs to provide a listening ear to her problems or stories. Furthermore, her stress could be due to too much pressure from the school to do assignments or duties which she is not capable of handling successfully within time and as required.
If Casey’s stress is due to psychodynamic reasons, she could be having inner conflicts with herself or she could be struggling with her childhood beliefs (Kraag et al., 2006). If she has not reached self-awareness stage of personal growth, she may be stressed. Rational causes of her stress may be caused by impending decisions, misinterpreted gestures, lower productivity and low self-perception. If Casey’s stress is experiential, then she could be facing too much pressure from other people, the environment, her needs, threats from something. IN case Casey’s stress is caused by spiritual reasons, she could be feeling remorseful for violating religious laws or she could be meditating on something that happened to her.
In order to help Casey, you need to talk with her as her mother and ask her the source of her stress. After knowing the cause, you will be ready to give a solution which will make her happy (Seaward, 2017). Various causes need different solutions. For instance, if her stress is due to growth into puberty or hormonal changes, you can tell her to appreciate her new beautiful shape. She has grown into a pretty young woman who every person admires. If she is worried about her appearance, breasts, large hips, pimples, hair, menstruation or any other physical reason, give her a solution or tell her it is perfectly normal. You should talk to Casey. Regardless of her stress, make Casey know that you love her very much (Torsheim & Wold, 2001b). Pull her close to you and give her a loving long hug. You should address her stress immediately because her condition can degenerate and become suicidal or metastasize into something more complicated. Now that you know the causes of stress, make sure you address each factor separately and all shall be well.
References
Kraag, G., Zeegers, M. P., Kok, G., Hosman, C., & Abu-Saad, H. H. (2006). School programs targeting stress management in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Journal of school psychology, 44(6), 449-472.
Seaward, B. L. (2017). Managing stress. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Torsheim, T., & Wold, B. (2001a). School-related stress, school support, and somatic complaints: A general population study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 16(3), 293-303.
Torsheim, T., & Wold, B. (2001b). School-related stress, support, and subjective health complaints among early adolescents: a multilevel approach. Journal of adolescence, 24(6), 701-713.
