Contents
An elaborate, thoughtful and useful essay on stress
In this contemporary era driven by massive competitiveness in every realm of life, the wellness of human beings is being compromised. As everyone seems to be carrying a certain burden of expectations and the relentlessness for accomplishing the desired goals, physical and mental fatigue have become common problems. Talking about mental health, in this new age, the mental well-being of people has become prone to constant deterioration. Furthermore, such vulnerability exposes humans to mental illnesses like chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. Stress, in particular, is becoming a widespread mental health disorder in people of all ages. Those who feel they are underachievers or have not been able to meet their career goals are under incessant stress to progress in life. Besides, those who have achieved their objectives and have climbed the ladder of success are stressing constantly about sustaining what they have.
We provide the most efficient, timely and premium assignment help services to the global student community. Besides, for other academic projects like dissertation writing, coursework completion, academic research, thesis writing, and so on, you can avail or recommend our best in class Write My Assignment Services. Our talented pool of academic writers and tutors is driven by exceptional knowledge, up-to-date expertise, and diligence towards each commitment. You can depend on us in the same way as you depend on your best friend to stand by you in every need.
In fact, unlike orthodox times, today, most people will have the honesty to admit that they are battling with prolific stress and seek help to deal with it. Given that, the awareness around mental health has increased manifold in developed and developing countries over the last few years. To cite the latest instance of this rising awareness and preparedness, Japan has appointed a Minister of Loneliness to supervise the mental health issues related to isolation which may lead to suicides.
Moving further, another vital example of the fact that the world is now taking mental health seriously is the Ministry of Happiness that was initiated in the UAE cabinet in 2016. The Minister of Happiness has been given the key responsibility to ensure the happiness of its citizens and needless to say, stress mitigation is a fundamental aspect of creating happy citizens. This thoughtful essay is a comprehensive analysis of the swelling issue of stress and related disorders in modern times that only seem to push people to run at a brisk pace. Also, this post will further delve deeper into the causes, consequences, and solutions that can be significant in dealing with stress effectively. To begin with, it is significant to comprehend the psychological meaning of stress. Moving further to understanding what stress is in actual terms, the subsequent paragraph is salient.
The psychological definition of stress
In psychological terms, the abstract of stress is actually a combination of two things. Firstly, stress can be understood as the psychological impression or impact of pressure or fear that a human being experiences. Furthermore, stress is an outcome of the response of the mind and the body to a given situation that exerts pressure. Ranging from metabolism to body muscles to the brain’s retention capacity, stress involves multiple body systems.
The term stress was coined for the first time by H. Selye in 1936. In his definition, he explained stress as a set of arbitrary and non-specific responses that are instigated from various forms of stimuli. However, the problem with this definition is that it only takes into consideration the physiological aspect of it and not the psychological theory. Thereafter a series of studies were conducted to determine the psychological aspects related to stress. In 1984, Lazarus and Folkman proposed a theory of stress. They asserted that stress occurs in humans when they are convinced that the prerequisites of handling an external situation are beyond their dealing capabilities. This is where the concept of stressors comes into the picture.
The perceived threats or daunting external situations that impose pressure on the human mind are called stressors. Further, these stressors are subjective because different people feel frightened or pressured by different external factors. For some stressors maybe exams, for some, it may be joblessness while for some it may be loneliness or turbulence in personal relationships.
Next, it is imperative to draw attention to some concerning statistics pertaining to stress so as to understand the gravity of this psychological issue. Here are some alarming statistics on the impact of stress and related problems globally.
Some frightening facts and figures related to stress
1. According to the World Health Organization, more than 264 million people suffer from chronic stress and depression all over the world. Furthermore, this chronic stress is a leading cause of suicidal tendencies in people of all ages, especially youngsters. ("Depression", 2021)
2. As stated by the Pew Research Center, stress and anxiety are showing a sharp rise in American teenagers. More than 70 percent of teenagers in the US feel that stress, anxiety, and depression are common and major problems in their peer groups. In addition, 61 percent of teens in the US admit that they feel a lot of stress and pressure to score good academic grades. ("Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety, Depression as Major Problems", 2021)
3. One in every four students in the US feels distressed about securing a future and finding decent employment opportunities after completing their graduation. Moreover, around 75 percent of youngsters in the US have been victims of fear, anxiety, anger, and stress while they were at school. They have admitted that they have been under perennial stress while dealing with their schoolwork. ("50 Current Student Stress Statistics: 2019/2020 Data, Analysis & Predictions « Guide 2 Research", 2021)
4. As many as 45 percent of college students in the US state that they have experienced stress beyond the average stress level that is predominant in youngsters. To add, around 13 percent of college students report having experienced tremendous stress. Besides, talking about university students in the United Kingdom, 45 percent of students feel stressed due to their academic courses.
5. As reported by students in the US, roughly 37 percent of them opine that examinations and assessment are the leading causes of stress. Next, around 13 percent of students feel that homework is the biggest source of their stress and anxiety.
6. As per the World Health Organization, more than 800, 000 die due to suicide every year. In fact, suicide is the third most prevalent cause of death in teenagers in the age range of 15-19. Furthermore, in its findings, the WHO establishes a clear correlation between suicide rates and mental disorders like prolonged stress, depression, and anxiety. It further states that a major proportion of global suicides occurs because people are unable to deal with life stresses. ("Suicide", 2021)
TYPES OF STRESS
Stress can be divided into a number of types based on the level of stress being experienced by a person.
Acute stress:
Acute stress is usually triggered when a person experiences a traumatic event such as a near-death experience, witnessing violence, and losing something precious. The shock associated with such events is so intense that related mental images and thoughts keep popping in the person’s mind. This leads to a vicious circle of ongoing intrusive thoughts and acute stress begins to build up. When a person experiences this kind of stress, he is most likely to experience dissociative symptoms. This means that he may begin to feel disconnected from his body, emotions, senses, and reality in general. But, acute stress usually gets resolved after some time on its own. If the person experiences excessive distress due to acute stress, then, he can visit a doctor who may prescribe some anxiety-relieving medicines to him. Along with this, doctors usually also prescribe some self-care tips like meditation, deep breathing, and spending time in the lap of nature, to the person suffering from acute stress for his speedy recovery.
Episodic acute stress:
Episodic acute stress is when a person experiences high levels of stress even in response to relatively small events in life. For example, a person with episodic acute stress disorder may feel excessively pressurized if he misses an important deadline at work irrespective of whether his boss is angry with him or not. He may get into a stream of overthinking and imagine himself losing his job and then, spending his life in dire straits. As a result, he may start feeling panicky and get overly stressed. Although episodic stress disorder is troublesome, it is treatable with the help of some lifestyle changes and medications (if required).
Chronic stress:
The word chronic refers to events or occurrences persisting for a long time or constantly recurring. So, a person with chronic stress experiences stress, anxiety, and excessive worries almost every day. There may be several reasons as to why he experiences continuous stress such as work pressure, sour relationships, and mental health issues. Further, due to chronic stress, the levels of stress hormones like Cortisol and Adrenaline almost remain high in his body on a daily basis. As a result, he feels restless, experiences difficulties in concentrating, and gets easily irritated by the slightest of disturbances. Moreover, chronic stress can over time expose the person to a number of physical health problems such as high blood pressure, migraines, and digestive disorders. But if he makes some lifestyle changes and begins to work on stress management, he can slowly develop a strong resilience against stress and preserve his health and well-being.
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
The existence of psychological stress and anxiety in human beings can be identified by various symptoms. As stated above, stress has an impact on different systems of the body as the body prepares to determine responses to stressors. To add, these responses are often visible in the form of symptoms. The most common indications of stress include
1. Chronic Aches
There is enough empirical evidence to support the claim that chronic stress can lead to the development of chronic pain in the body. When a person is witnessing tremendous stress inside his system, the kidneys release cortisol which is a stress hormone. Various medical studies hint at the relationship between cortisol secretion and instances of chronic aches.
2. Insomnia
Glued to social media, youngsters these days have highly disturbed sleeping patterns. While they stay awake the entire night surfing or binge-watching on gadgets, they feel drained during the day. This may seem like a habit at first but insomnia and constant lack of energy can be signs of long-term stress in human beings. There are studies that correlate stress with unprecedented restlessness during bedtime hence enhancing the risk of insomnia.
3. Acne
Acne is a very common symptom of constant stress in youngsters and teenagers. In many cases, acne severity experienced by youngsters is linked with examination stress, personal life stress, or other stressors that students or teenagers are vulnerable to.
4. Headaches
A lot of people can relate to this symptom of stress that people often experience. Stress is a common reason for headaches and pain in the region around the neck. While dealing with situations that trigger pressure and panic, humans have the tendency to indulge in overthinking and taking a lot of toll on their minds. This further leads to the occurrence of pain in the head and if the stress is prolonged, this pain can be chronic.
5. Fluctuations in appetite and metabolism problems
Drastic changes in appetite are common indications of stress, anxiety, and depression. Usually, people under regular stress witness fluctuations in their appetite. At times, they may end up missing their meals, and sometimes they may even indulge in binge eating or overeating. Moreover, stress can also lead to problems of the digestive system hence disturbing the metabolism. Digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, and bloating can be hints of stress. Furthermore, severe stress over long periods of time can be a reason for digestive diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
6. Increased heart rate
It is a common phenomenon that when battling with stressors, the heartbeat in most humans becomes rapid and the heart rate goes way above the normal level. However, it is significant to note that stress is not the only factor that contributes to the hike in the pace of the heartbeat. It may be because of other reasons as well.
After having assessed the various symptoms of stress, it is time to decipher the causes of stress. For ascertaining the right response to stress, an individual needs to be aware of the basic causes of stress that are prevalent in the 21st century.
Causes of stress
As stated before, different individuals may feel stressed or anxious because of different reasons. It is obvious that the causes of stress in a school student will be different from those in a university student. Similarly, the stressors for a working professional will be different from those of a jobless person. Hence, the set of stressors for one age group to another or for one profession to another and so on are subject to vary. But some common causes of stress reported by individuals can be generalized to create more awareness about mental wellness and the need to devise suitable responses dealing with stress.
1. Excessive burden at work
Daunting deadlines, unrealistic targets, and making ends meet at work are common contributors to stress in professionals all across the world. According to research by Everest College, 83 percent of employees working in the US suffer from work stress every day. Plus, 80 percent of the workers in the US experience stress at work due to ineffective workplace communication. (Heckman, 2021)
2. Social Media
Research shows that social media addiction can play a role in triggering social media stress or stress in general and vice versa. This stress is usually defined as technostress that is related to overwhelming information and incessant use of gadgets or digital platforms.
3. Victimization
Sometimes, some people are subjected to torture, crime, bullying, harassment, discrimination at work, or college, and sexual abuse during their course of life. Or sometimes people feel traumatized because of personal tragedies like the loss of a dear person or divorce. In all such cases, people become vulnerable to chronic stress and anxiety. Further, if these issues remain unaddressed, they can shape into depression.
4. Academic Requirements
As stated above, a lot of students start to feel stressed because of homework, their course, or schoolwork. In addition to these, there is constant pressure on them from the side of teachers and parents to perform exceptionally well. Such a burden of expectations, not letting students choose their passions, and painting failures in a bad light can make students anxious, afraid of not being able to meet the expectations, and horribly stressed.
5. Financial Instability
Source of income and financial stability are key concerns for people of all faiths and interests. People are frequently driven by the urge to secure their present and future in terms of financial steadiness. Even parents push their children hard to outperform others in academics to enhance their prospects of a sound financial future. When people are not able to attain the desired financial solidity, they often fall into the trap of stress. As cited by Reuters, more than 3 million Americans lost their jobs permanently due to the outbreak of COVID-19. (Mutikani, 2021) The amount of stress these individuals are subjected to for making ends meet in the pandemic is unimaginable, to say the least.
6. Incurable illness
A persistent illness that a person believes will never be cured is also a leading cause of stress in people especially adults. When an individual feels that his health issues are leading to large financial losses, coming in the way of his ambitions, and causing turbulence in his personal life, he starts reeling under constant stress and begins to curse his fortunes.
Having scrutinized the causes of stress in people from different spheres of life, the next step is to look at the ways in which an individual can practice effective stress management. It is vital to realize that not addressing the issues of stress or ignoring them can lead to severe and scary mental as well as physical problems. Hence, to look after one’s mental wellness and eradicating stress from the pursuit of achievements, the following solutions can be worthwhile.
Effective Ways to deal with stress
1. Improving time management skills
Inefficient time management is a cause of stress and anxiety in many people. People tend to feel stressed when they are not able to meet deadlines or are not able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. But by honing time management skills, an individual can make the most of his day and complete all the tasks in an efficient manner. It usually happens that people pick up on stress when they have whiled away their precious time and try to finish the task in the last leg of the stipulated time. However, successful time management enables people to finish before time and to have sufficient time to maintain a healthy balance between professional and personal life. Also, for students who often wonder how to write an essay fast without stressing, time management is the key.
2. Keeping surroundings green
People can deal with their stress a lot better if they surround themselves with plants. Hence, a walk to a lush green garden or keeping an indoor plant on the office desk or study table can be a great way to bust stress. This claim is backed by enough pieces of research that have tried to explore the correlation between plants and reduction in stress. It is interesting to note that as per a study featured in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, keeping indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress and anxiety in a significant way. Hence, this shall serve as one of the most inexpensive, easy, and of course, eco-friendly ways of dealing with stress.
3. Indulging in physical activities
For those who are victims of stress, having a daily routine inclusive of exercise and other physical activities is a must. Physical activities upscale the ability of the body to use oxygen in a better way and also improves the blood flow. Improved supply of oxygen, as well as better blood circulation, have a positive impact on the brain. Plus, physical activities stimulate the production of endorphins that are known to make humans feel good and also enhance the mood. Talking of the best forms of physical activities for stress-busting, there are various options to choose from. They include:
- Aerobics
- Biking
- Swimming
- Jogging or Brisk Walking
- Rowing
- Tennis
It is fascinating to learn that Tim Cook, the face of Apple said in an interview with HBO that he goes to the gym daily for one hour as it helps him in managing his stress. For sure, this is another lesson to learn from his successful habits. Hence, healthy lifestyle choices are necessary for mental wellness as well as staying happy.
4. Sparing out time for leisure activities
Pursuing hobbies and taking out some time for leisure activities are essential for keeping the mind relaxed and managing stress. Leisure activities or recreational activities are associated with the feeling of pleasure and happiness that counter stress and anxiety. Even the most successful people of the world including the likes of Mark Zuckerberg have endorsed the idea of pursuing hobbies for a while in a day to reboot, refresh, and beginning again with the same zeal. So, if someone has not been in touch with his hobbies for a while and is feeling stressed due to events in life, picking the guitar again or joining dance classes one more time would be a great idea. Happiness is the biggest counter to stress after all and hobbies for sure make people utterly happy.
5. Self-advocating
Self-advocating is an essential life skill that all individuals should have irrespective of the domain they are in. From students to working professionals, speaking up for one’s interests and expressing opinions is critical. In most cases, students, as well as employees, do not represent themselves or demand what they deserve fearing denial or the consequences. Subsequently, their minds get tangled in uncertainty and they start stressing about things than raising their voice to convey their concerns. But if individuals are to deal with their stress in a worthwhile manner, they need to improve their self-advocacy skills.
6. Social media detox
Many people look at social media as a source of entertainment and a means of distraction from the stressful events of life. But it is also true that social media in itself is a contributor to restlessness and addiction. This addiction can further make people anxious and stressed about social media validation and the fear of missing out (FOMO as the millennials will call it) Hence, it is important that people using social media should take a day off from it at regular intervals to keep stress at bay. Also, this detox from social media will let the brain focus on its cognitive development and will help people to keep a balance between reality and virtual reality.
7. Staying hydrated
This may seem like an unusual way of dealing with stress but it works for real. There is rocket science in understanding the vicious cycle of stress and dehydration. Stress can make an individual feel dehydrated while dehydration can make a person feel stressed. In fact, dehydration is one of the many responses to stress and medical experts suggest that drinking enough water to stay hydrated is a good way to handle stress.
8. Developing a growth mindset
An individual with a growth mindset is a proponent of the belief that intelligence and talent can be developed with hard work and persistence. People who have a growth mindset achieve higher success than others and have fewer reasons to stress about. Besides, they do not give up easily when countered with challenges and believe in investing honest efforts in overhauling destiny. For students, aspiring job-seekers, as well as industry professionals, developing such a mindset, is salient. People who are prone to stress should give priority to expanding the horizon of their minds and perspectives to be able to develop a positive attitude.
Prevalence of stress in college students
The statistics quoted above make it pretty evident that college students are suffering from ample academic success. In addition to the stress related to academic courses and grades, students also feel stressed about various other reasons that include
- Student debt problems
- Managing time between sports, leisure, and academics
- The need to find a decent job after graduation
- Managing part-time jobs and academic excellence simultaneously
- Fear of failures
- The feeling of envy related to seeing fellow mates succeeding
- Homesickness in case they are studying abroad
Given the fact that students attending college or university are so prone to stress and other mental disorders, parents and teachers should show a keen interest in helping youngsters. With the right guidance and paramount support from their parents and teachers, students will be able to oversee their stressors in a better way. Also, to inspire the best of potential in them, students should not ignore their stressors and seek help without hesitation in case they are not able to negate their stress on their own. Further, in the next section, there is an elucidation of the ways in which parents and teachers can assist students in successfully coping with stress.
How can parents and teachers help in managing stress in youngsters?
Today, stress has become an integral part of life. People of all age groups from young to elderly encounter various kinds of stressors on a daily basis. In the olden days, youngsters were the ones who used to be least stressed but today things have changed completely. Most of the youngsters experience overwhelming levels of stress every day. Studies, Exams, Securing a good job are some prominent sources of stress for youngsters. According to a survey conducted by Reachout, two-thirds of students experience worrying levels of exam stress and one in 10 are suffering from extreme stress when it comes to exams. As high-stress levels are not good for health, this calls upon parents and teachers to help youngsters with stress management. If they learn how to keep their stress levels in control, they’ll definitely lead a calmer, happier, more relaxed, and healthier life. ("2019 REACHOUT STUDY STRESS SURVEY - DON'T STRESS ALONE THIS EXAM SEASON", 2021)
Tips for parents to help their children with stress management
1. Parents should be aware of the various signs of stress
The first and foremost step for parents to be able to help their children is to build the ability to detect early symptoms of stress in their children. Unless parents are able to identify stressful behaviors in their kids, they may not even realize that their children are battling stress. Hence, parents should have complete knowledge of the common symptoms of stress and they should also know what behavioral changes are caused in children due to stress. In most cases, children may be too reluctant to open up to their parents about their mental distress. The onus thus lies on the parents to monitor the behavior of their child regularly and keep a check on the child’s mental health.
2. Parents should make their children join meditation and mindfulness classes
Meditation and mindfulness are considered two of the best practices for stress management. People accumulate a lot of stress because of overthinking and the ongoing stream of negative thoughts in the mind. Both these practices help people slowly overpower their thoughts through acceptance and non-resistance so that they don’t get much bothered by them. Along with these, meditation and mindfulness also establish a state of deep inner calm which brings a significant reduction in one’s stress levels. So, parents should make their children join meditation and mindfulness classes.
3. Parents should try to have regular conversations with children
Talking one’s heart out is also an effective way of stress management. As a person shares his feelings and stressful thoughts with friends and loved ones, he begins to feel relaxed. It is as if he releases the huge baggage of troubling feelings, emotions, and thoughts he was carrying inside. So, parents should try to have regular conversations with children and encourage them to share their feelings, emotions, and thoughts with them. If they feel that their child is feeling a little shy to open up, they can help him overcome his hesitation by sharing their own feelings and emotions with him.
4. Parents should encourage kids to engage in physical activities
Physical activities like exercise and sports are really effective in stress management. They stimulate the brain to release endorphins which trigger positive feelings and also have pain-reducing effects. Along with this, exercise also enhances the quality of sleep which is again excellent for stress reduction. But, today most children have a sedentary lifestyle. They spend most of their time sitting either studying or spending time with their gadgets. This calls upon parents to encourage their kids to regularly engage in physical activities like exercise and playing.
5. Parents should avoid over-burdening their kids with unrealistic expectations
High expectations from parents and teachers often make students feel really pressured. They are so afraid of letting them down that they leave no stone unturned to fulfill their expectations which exposes them to a lot of stress. To prevent children from being exposed to this kind of stress, parents should try not to set high expectations for them. It is not that they should stop having any expectations from their children, but it is just that they should not keep the bar really high.
6. Parents should set a proper bedtime schedule for their children
Sleep plays an important role in stress management. It is during sleep that the body and the brain rejuvenate and repair. Lack of sleep causes a huge disturbance in the body’s relaxation mechanism which leads to the accumulation of stress. As today, most youngsters compromise their sleep for studies or entertainment purposes like using social media and watching tv series, parents need to set a proper bedtime schedule for them. This will be really beneficial for them in the long run.
Tips for teachers to help students with stress management
Just like parents, teachers can also play a vital role in helping the students with stress management. Given below are some simple tips for teachers regarding the same:
1. Teachers should keep the channels of communication open
Students often have a hard time sharing their feelings and emotional troubles with their parents. This is simply because they don’t want to make their parents worry for them. Under such circumstances, teachers can be of great help to them by acting as mentors and keeping the channels of communication open. They can do so by engaging in regular cordial conversations with their students in an informal manner. Teachers can share their life experiences, childhood stories, and other similar things with their students and help them open up.
2. Teachers should try not to assign excessive homework to students
Students often get burdened by huge amounts of homework and assignments. Teachers can help reduce this burden by not assigning excessive homework to students. Moreover, if the assignment deadlines of more than one subject are clashing, then, they should try to shift the submission deadline of their subject’s assignments.
3. Teachers should not judge the capabilities of students only on the basis of grades
Famous personalities like Richard Branson and Drew Barrymore didn’t have much interest in studies. They dropped out of school at an early age but today, both of them are extremely successful in their lives. So, teachers should not try to judge the capabilities of students only on the basis of grades. This is crucial as it can be a cause of unnecessary stress for the students. Rather, teachers should try to identify the creative caliber and interests of their students and then, guide them in the respective direction.
4. Teachers should make short meditation sessions a part of the class
Meditation is an effective way of instilling a state of inner calm. Teachers can help students calm down and bring a reduction in their stress levels by making short five to seven minute meditation sessions a part of the class. Devoting this short amount of time to meditation can also help teachers attract focussed attention from students as this stress management technique also works well in enhancing one’s concentration abilities.
5. Teachers should endorse empathy towards students
The best and the least that teachers can do to help their students is to try and understand their emotions. In fact, when teachers will develop attitudes driven by empathy, they will be able to feel the emotions gushing inside students and hence understand what the students are going through. This will work in two ways, firstly teachers will be able to identify the issues and emotional turbulence that students are sulking about. Secondly, when students get the confidence that their teachers are willing to help them, students will open up about their problems without any hesitation. Their reluctance to seek help will witness a massive decline.
6. Teachers ought to create awareness around the concept of stress
One pragmatic way to help students manage their stress is to explain to them the science and the psychology behind stress. When students will have a better understanding of mental health and science, they will be able to identify the early signs of stress and anxiety. Needless to say, if they are able to decipher at an early stage how stress is leading to changes in their body and mind, they will seek timely help. Teachers ought to realize that students may not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of mental health and related disorders. Having said that, important classroom discussions on stress, anxiety, self-care, and wellness are essential.
Sample Essay on Stress
Stress as we know is a widespread threat to the mental health of people all across the globe. Also, because stress is such a peculiar issue and affects such a large population of the world, students often receive academic essays and assignments on stress. In such cases, this thoughtful sample essay on stress can be of great help to the cause of your assignments. Also, for any other topic that you may be assigned to you, you can go through our wide range of sample essays that cover multifarious topics. Besides, if you are struggling to manage your time between different assignments, you can avail our globally trusted Assignment Help Services.
Sample Essay On Stress : Excess load of education - the reason for low cognitive skills in today’s children
Introduction
Today, every person on the planet lives a fast-paced life. People have no time to sit, relax and look at the beauty of nature. They are always running here and there in pursuit of something. Even when they are sitting in one place their mind is restless. Children are no exception. The demands of the educational world are so high that students are unable to enjoy their lives. They are constantly running in a rat race to achieve more academically. As a result, they rarely find any time to spend in the lap of nature, play and rejuvenate. To add to the challenging situation, internet technology has given children a medium to play games online, which has further decreased their interest in going out to play. As a result, they are now likely to experience extreme levels of stress today because of the lack of physical activities. This article talks about the impact of stress on the minds of primary children.
Thesis Statement Stress is a huge cause of concern for the entire society. It has now slowly made its way to the lives of young children and started impacting the cognitive skills of students studying in primary sections of schools. This article supports the fact while presenting an argumentative essay on the topic.
Learn more about how to write an effective introduction for your essays to capture the interest of the reader from the very first impression. Our extensive guide on how to write an effective introduction paragraph can help you learn all the essentials of writing an introduction for a high scoring essay.
Body
First of all, students of today are exposed to high academic pressure right from the primary level of education. They are made to learn a lot of concepts, taught to cram, and expected to perform extraordinarily well in examinations. As a result, parents have to make them study hard which makes them feel stressed. When stress becomes a part of the students’ lives from a very young age, their emotional and mental growth suffers significantly. They become prone to developing mental disorders like anxiety and depression in adolescence. Along with this, their creative potential also gets significantly reduced. This is because a stressed mind makes a person feel so overwhelmed that he cannot think in a creative manner.
Secondly, the immense pressure of studies requires students to spend more and more time with their books and notebooks. This leaves them with not much time to spend with their friends and family members. As a result, their emotional and psychological development suffers to a great degree. Further, the years of primary education are the fundamental years for the overall growth of a child. If he gets exposed to stress during the initial years of his life, he cannot grow into an emotionally and psychologically sound human being. According to a study, in high achieving schools, students face higher emotional, behavioral, and mental problems as compared to other students. This clearly highlights that increasing pressure related to education exposes students to physical and psychological disturbances. Moreover, the attentional control theory by Derakshan, N., and Eysenck, M.W. (2009), highlights a direct relation between anxiety and cognitive performance. It says that students experience anxiety due to extreme pressure which further impacts their cognitive approach towards life.
Thirdly, school is the place where a child first learns to form social connections. He can interact with his classmates, teachers, other school staff and thus, learn to build and nourish social relationships. But, if he is kept engrossed with books and notebooks and doesn’t get enough time to interact with others his ability to form social connections suffers greatly. He may then turn out to become a really introverted person who might feel uncomfortable interacting with others. This can further expose him to feelings of isolation in the future and make him prey to mental disorders like social anxiety and depression. So, it is crucial for teachers and school authorities to ensure that students get proper time to interact with their classmates and other people around.
On the other hand, the supporters of hard-core education and higher standards of achievement believe that making students study hard right from the beginning prepares them for a bright career. They argue that if students don’t adapt to studying hard right from the beginning, they cannot meet the academic requirements in higher grades. These people also emphasize that hard-core education helps students turn into hard-working and disciplined adults. Moreover, they also believe that studying hard concepts during the formative years helps kids turn into smarter adults. There is no proof whether such claims are true or not. But, these people certainly consider professional development to be more important than a person’s emotional and mental growth and well-being.
If looked closely, even an extremely successful person cannot lead a happy and healthy life if his mental and emotional well-being is adversely impacted. This implies that hardcore education and higher standards of achievement can certainly prepare students for a good professional life but they cannot beacon them on the path of health and happiness.
Conclusion
The cognitive development of a child is as essential as his academic development. If every little mind keeps getting exposed to high levels of academic stress right from childhood, his emotional and mental well-being is likely to suffer immensely. This will one day make the world turn into a community of mentally and emotionally troubled beings who will also be indifferent towards each other. They will not only suffer because of their own emotional and mental instability but they’ll also suffer because of social disconnection. To prevent such dreary things from happening, it is crucial for educational institutions to start paying more attention to the emotional and mental development of the children during their formative years. This will help little kids turn into adults who are not only professionally successful but also mentally and emotionally strong.
Concise and reaffirming conclusions are essential, to sum up the essay and the enlisted ideas in an impressive way. Our meticulous guide on how to write an effective conclusion will give you an elaborate idea about concluding your academic essays in an ideal way. This guide serves as a perfect resource to understand all the ingredients of an appealing conclusion.
Stress is an integral part of life. It is not possible to get rid of it completely but if one keeps his stress levels managed, he can prevent stress from having adverse impacts on his health and well-being. Along with this, parents and teachers should direct their efforts to help children with stress management. This will help them ensure that academic stress doesn’t get to inhibit the emotional and mental development of young minds.
More essay samples to read
- Essay on time management: https://assignmenthelp4me.com/essay/comprehensive-essay-time-management.html
- Essay on youth violence: https://assignmenthelp4me.com/essay/explanation-of-youth-violence.html
- Essay on happiness: https://assignmenthelp4me.com/essay/happiness-essay-for-college-students.html
References
- Depression. (2021). Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
- Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety, Depression as Major Problems. (2021). Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/
- 50 Current Student Stress Statistics: 2019/2020 Data, Analysis & Predictions « Guide 2 Research. (2021). Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.guide2research.com/research/student-stress-statistics
- Suicide. (2021). Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
- Heckman, W. (2021). 42 Worrying Workplace Stress Statistics - The American Institute of Stress. Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.stress.org/42-worrying-workplace-stress-statistics
- Mutikani, L. (2021). U.S. economy loses jobs as COVID-19 hammers restaurants, bars. Retrieved 26 February 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-idUSKBN29D0J9
- 2019 REACHOUT STUDY STRESS SURVEY - DON'T STRESS ALONE THIS EXAM SEASON. (2021). Retrieved 27 February 2021, from https://www.medianet.com.au/releases/179086/