What Is Academic Stress? How to Help Your Teen Cope With School Pressure 

High school is a stressful time, and the pressure teens feel at school has only risen in recent years. That’s not great news. Academic stress can lead to both short- and long-term consequences for a teen's health and emotional well-being, such as depression, problems with self-esteem, and impacts on their physical health. 

Parents can help their children by teaching them to identify their stressors, reducing stress at home, and showing them stress management tools. If you’re worried about your teen’s academic stress levels, here are some ways to help them learn to cope. 

What is academic stress? 

Stress is the body’s natural response to external challenges or demands. When faced with a stressful situation, the body reacts with a cocktail of hormones and neurochemical reactions. These external stressors can come from a variety of sources, but teens regularly report academics as a top reason they feel stress. 

What causes academic stress?

Here are some of the factors that can contribute to academic stress in teens:

• Heavy school workload 
• Expectations to maintain grades
• Exams 
• The college application process 
• Decisions about college and future career paths
• Fear of failure 
• Poor time management skills
• Trying to please parents and teachers 
• Balancing school with work and extracurriculars 

Should I be concerned my child is experiencing academic stress?

Academic stress can have both short- and long-term consequences for teens. 

Short-term consequences: 

• Anxiety and depression
• Disrupted sleep
• Low self-esteem
• Substance abuse

Long-term consequences: 

• Impaired attention, cognitive function, and memory
• Weakened immune function and heart disease
• More susceptibility to mental health disorders in adulthood
• Unhealthy coping mechanisms

How to know if your teen is overwhelmed by school

It’s important to identify if your teen is experiencing academic stress so you can help them learn to manage it. Here are some signs your teen may be overwhelmed by school: 

• Emotional changes: Frequent mood swings, agitation, or feeling worried, helpless, anxious, or sad.
• Unhealthy coping mechanisms: Risky behavior such as substance use, self-harm, or disordered eating.  
• Behavioral changes. A loss of interest in things they previously enjoyed. 
• Physical symptoms. Getting sick more often, feeling more tired than usual, or experiencing an uptick in headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints.
• Sleep changes. Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much.  
• Changes with eating habits. Skipping meals or overeating. 
• Cognitive changes. Trouble concentrating and forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions, or being overly self-critical. 

If your child is showing several of these signs, it’s time to step in and offer support.

How parents can help teens manage academic stress

Here are concrete ways you can help your teen cope: 

1. Prioritize open communication and understanding

Never underestimate the transformative power of empathy. Listen to your teen’s concerns and validate their feelings and fears. 

2. Identify stress triggers

Your teen may be experiencing the negative impacts of stress without even realizing it. Recognizing their feelings and figuring out what triggers their stress can go a long way toward helping them learn to manage it.

3. Minimize stress at home 

Do your best to make your home a peaceful respite for your teen where they can decompress from school.

4. Promote healthy lifestyle habits

For example, talk to your teen about the importance of the following habits:

• Exercise
• Eat regular, healthy meals
• Get good sleep
• Limit excess caffeine in soft drinks or coffee

5. Teach stress management techniques

Help your teen practice healthy coping skills, such as deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and journaling.

6. Encourage them to find meaningful outlets outside of school

Putting some of their energy into sports, creative pursuits, and friendships can help buffer your child against the stresses of school. 

In short

Academic stress can be detrimental to a teen’s health and well-being, both in the short and long term. Parents play a pivotal role in helping their child learn how to manage stress by teaching them positive coping skills, promoting healthy lifestyle changes, and lending an empathetic ear. 

One surprising way to manage academic stress is to stay involved in their digital life. If they’re searching for topics related to burnout (or “crashing out”) or messaging friends about feeling overwhelmed, those are all indicators that it’s time to step in. BrightCanary helps you stay informed on the apps your child uses most often. Download BrightCanary on the App Store and get started for free today.