How Academic Pressure May Affect Your Teenager
You might look back on your teenage years and remember them as the best time of your life. But you’re probably overlooking a few things in those memories. Being a teenager isn’t easy. You’re going through hormonal changes, navigating new relationships, thinking about the future, and trying to maintain academic success.
If your teen has certain goals or aspirations, like getting into a specific college or making the honor roll, they could be dealing with a lot of extra pressure. Academic pressure can impact your teenager in many ways, directly affecting their physical and mental well-being.
The more aware you are of the impact of academic pressure, the easier it will be to see some red flags and know how to help your teen work through it.
What Is Academic Pressure?
Academic pressure is something a student of any age might face. If there are certain expectations or demands required of them in an educational setting, it can cause them to experience stress, tension, anxiety, and discomfort.
Academic pressure can be internal or external. External factors might include a demanding teacher, expectations from parents, or even standardized testing.
Often, however, academic pressure is internal. If your teenager wants to be perfect or push themselves to reach high academic standards, they could be putting a lot of extra pressure on themselves without realizing it.
The Risks Of Academic Pressure
Again, academic pressure can wreak havoc on your teenager’s well-being. That kind of stress, whether internally or externally caused, can lead to anxiety, depression, or feelings of burnout. Your teen might start to have trouble sleeping, or you might see changes in their eating habits.
In addition to stress, fear, and sadness, academic pressure can end up damaging your teen’s relationship with friends and peers. They might start to see their friends as “competition,” or they might be so involved in their studies that they don’t pay attention to those relationships.
Unfortunately, the impact of academic pressure can create cyclical problems. For example, the more stressed your teen is about succeeding in school, the more anxious they’re likely to become. The more anxious they feel, the more likely they’ll give in to the effects of academic pressure.
Over time, this kind of pressure can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your teen might end up so stressed, burnt-out, or running low on sleep and proper nutrition that they start to struggle with their studies.
What Can You Do?
There’s nothing wrong with having a teenager who wants to do well in school. But, if you’ve noticed that they’re putting too much pressure on themselves to succeed, it might be time to step in and offer your help.
Consider encouraging your teen to form a study group so they don’t have to deal with things alone. Seeing how other classmates study and get through homework can help to encourage healthy habits.
Speaking of healthy habits, it’s essential to make sure your teen is practicing self-care. That includes getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active, and managing their mental well-being. As a parent, keep the lines of communication open and let your teen know you’re there to be a listening ear as often as they need it.
Sometimes, talking to a mental health professional can make a big difference, too. The pressure your teen is putting on themselves might stem from something deeper than they realize. Therapy can help them dig deeper into the root of their stress. It can also help them develop healthy self-care strategies to manage their own expectations and to let go of some of the stress they’re feeling.
If you’re worried your teen is struggling due to academic pressure, please contact me today to schedule an appointment for teen therapy.
