ZANKHANA VITHLANI

ROLL NO :95
R.R EDUCATIONAL TRUST
SUB : GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Assignment :strategies for handling academic stress,

bullying,
Handling puberty, suicide.
 WHAT IS ACADEMIC STRESS
Academic stress is defined as the body's response to academic-related demands that
exceed adaptive capabilities of students. 2. It is estimated that 10–30% of students
experience some degree of academic stress during their academic career.

Some of the common stressors reported in an academic setting include excessive

assignments, poor time management and social skills, peer competition, etc.
 What causes academic stress?
Academic pressure may come from family expectations, the ambitious goals students
set for themselves, or the demands placed on them by society at large. Coaches and
school administrators may also push students to succeed.
 HOW TO DEAL WITH ACADEMIC STRESS

Spend some time each day on activities that can help reduce your stress. Use mindfulness
techniques. Try a few minutes of guided relaxation. Seek academic support when you
need it.
10 Academic Stress Management Tips

To Do lists can help manage academic anxiety

1. Make To Do Lists
To do lists can take a seemingly insurmountable pile of obligations much more manageable by helping
prioritize and lay out exactly what needs to be done. Outline the set of tasks that you have to complete.
Once you can visualize what you have to do, you won’t be daunted by your assignments.

2. Budget Your Time

Plan out your day, minute-by-minute. With a clear view of your schedule, you will feel more in control
which will allow you to approach your tasks calmly and confidently.

3. Create a Rewards System

Giving yourself incentives to complete daunting academic tasks can help when the going gets tough. Set
up a system of rewards so that you can look forward to finishing a set of tasks. For instance, give yourself
a Hershey Kiss once you read 10 pages of your textbook. This little boost of endorphins will give you the
encouragement to keep working.
4. Ask For Help and Move On
When you find yourself stressing over a seemingly impossible problem, text a friend or email a teacher. Then move
on to other tasks. Don’t spend hours focusing on this problem, however significant it may seem to be at the time.
Wasted time will slow you down, and you will be emotionally drained when preparing to shift your focus to your
other remaining tasks.

5. Take Breaks to Breathe

Mindfulness is an immense help when experiencing overwhelm and academic stress. Finding a way to calm yourself
physically will help relief mental stress simultaneously. Go online and find some breathing exercises. Whenever you
find yourself worrying, put your pens and pencils down and breathe. Try closing your eyes while breathing in
through your nose and out through your mouth. Moments like these are necessary to recharge.

6. Eat Healthy
While you may be tempted to reach for that slice of pizza, putting the right foods in your body will boost your
energy and thereby give you the stamina you need to get your work done. Foods with high fat and sugar contents can
make you feel sluggish and unmotivated to complete your tasks. Focus on fruits, veggies, and other high-fiber foods
for sustained energy, and combine protein with carbohydrates to avoid a ‘crash’.
7. Get More Restful Sleep, Especially If You Can’t Get More Hours of Sleep

Obviously, you won’t be able to focus or work your best without a good night’s sleep. While I understand that
sometimes sleep is the first thing to go when school work is piled high, there are a few tips to make the most of those
precious hours of slumber. First, don’t do your work on your bed; it will lead to an association between your bed and
your work, which will make it harder for you to fall asleep. Do the homework that does not require screen time last.
Exposure to screens before bed has been proven to decrease quality of sleep. If you find yourself worrying while you are
trying to snooze, try clenching each muscle in your body one-by-one, starting with your feet, until you clench your
entire body. Then release. This relief will make your body feel de-stressed and will allow you to fall asleep faster.

8. Exercise
Experts say that everyone needs at least a half hour of exercise each day. Not only does exercise help you with restful
sleep but exercise also boosts endorphins, which, in turn, make you more happy and less anxious.

when academic stress gets overwhelming, talking to a counselor can help.

9. Set Aside Days to Relax
Just like a good night of sleep, you need a day of fun to recharge from a week of school. Set aside time to spend Friday or
Saturday with friends or family. Do not focus on anything relating to work or school during these times. It can be tempting
to work all the time, especially if academic stress is at a peak, but you will work more efficiently and effectively with breaks
to rest and socialize as opposed to burning yourself out.

10. Seek Help If Necessary

If you find that academic stress has consumed your life, talk to a teacher, guidance counselor, parent, or another trusted
adult. While a certain amount of anxiety is normal, no one should worry alone, and prolonged academic stress can lead
to mental health struggles like anxiety and depression.
 WHAT IS BULLYING
Bullying in the schools has negative effects on individual students and on the school climate as a whole. Bullying can
cause long-term problems for both the victims of bullying and the bullies themselves. To explore the effects of bullying
on adolescents, we will define bullying, identify the characteristics of bullies and victims, outline the extent and
consequences of bullying, and present resources for further information and assistance.
Bullying is any behavior that is initiated by one or more students against a victim or victims that causes
physical or psychological intimidation. Bullying behaviors can be classified as either direct (such as teasing,
threatening, hitting, or stealing) or indirect (such as rumor spreading or social isolation). Boys typically employed
direct methods of bullying, while girls tend to use in direct methods. Either way, behaviors must occur repeatedly
overtime to be classified as bullying.
TOP 10 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH BULLYING

1. UNDERSTAND THE BULLYING

Bullying is a learnt behavior. There are several reasons why people bully others; more often than not, bullying can be a
coping mechanism for people who are going through a stressful or traumatic situation and it may also be learnt from
abuse or prejudice-based attitudes at home.

Often people who bully others have at some point been bullied themselves or are currently being bullied.

Other reasons for bullying can include issues such as jealousy and insecurity – we know this because we work directly
with people who bully so we can help them understand and overcome their negative behaviors. If you are being bullied,
please know that you are NOT the problem.

If you are bullying somebody else, please speak up about it – get help on our Anonymous Community forum here.

2. IF YOU FEEL SAFE ENOUGH: SPEAK TO THE PERSON WHO IS BULLYING YOU
Have you ever said something to a friend and upset them by accident? Chances are, it has probably happened loads of
times. It’s a similar thing with bullying as the definition, by default is subjective – meaning that everybody has a
different threshold of what they consider to be bullying. Sometimes, the person who is bullying you may genuinely have
no idea that it is affecting you.
Equally, they are probably going through a difficult time themselves and will relate to how you’re feeling. This is why we
have found that speaking to the person who is bullying you can be really effective. If this is something you’d consider,
read this first.

3. NEVER GO THROUGH IT IN SILENCE

When you’re going through a stressful or difficult situation, it can clog your mind and fog your vision. This leads to
people becoming distracted, stressed and unproductive. Bullying is something that affects so many people’s lives, but
many people will never report it through embarrassment, fear or a lack of faith in support systems.

It is incredibly important that you go through the appropriate reporting channels by firstly telling a
teacher/parent/guardian/learning mentor or another responsible adult. You can also contact us for advice and support.
Even if you don’t want to report it, speak to somebody and don’t feel like you have to go through it alone because you
don’t.

4. IS IT A CRIME?
Bullying is a behavior but some forms of bullying may also be a criminal offence. If somebody physically or sexually
attacks you, steals from you or uses prejudice language or hate speech towards you (such as homophobia and racism)
or shares your private information or intimate images online – these are all key signs that you should probably report it
to the Police.
5. DON’T SEE YOURSELF AS THE PROBLEM
The reason people experience bullying is not because of their sexuality, gender identity, race, appearance, disability or any
other unique factor; it is because of the attitude towards the factor. The only thing possible to change is attitudes. The
person who is bullying you is the one with the issue, not you.

6. DEAL WITH STRESS

When you are going through a stressful situation, it can be difficult to deal with it objectively if you keep it all to yourself.
The stress navigates towards the front of your mind and builds up into a completely avoidable chain of negative emotions.
It is therefore incredibly important to tell somebody that you trust; it doesn’t even have to be an adult, it could be a friend
or somebody at Ditch the Label. You deserve the help and support to get through this.

We have a really simple exercise available on our website called Stress Reprogramming which you can do either alone or
with somebody else in around 30 minutes. The exercise will help you see stress differently and come up with a way
forward.

7. EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY WANT TO, DON’T ISOLATE YOURSELF

Depriving yourself of any sort of support certainly isn’t going to resolve the issue or help you handle the bullying. We
know it may feel like the best thing to do at the time, but it will only make things worse by silencing you and reducing
your self-esteem. Often people who are bullied will understandably see themselves as victims, but it’s important that you
look beyond that and don’t let the bullying dictate who you are. Talk about it to somebody at Ditch the Label.
9. SEEK ROLE MODELS
When you’re going through your teen years, sometimes it can all seem like a bit of a black hole. It’s made even worse if
you’re struggling with your identity or being bullied.

This is why it is important to seek out positive role models to show you that plenty of people have been where you are
right now and have managed to overcome it.

10. LEAN ON US
We are a leading global youth charity and we are here for you when you need us the most. If you need any help or
guidance, join the community to chat anonymously with a digital mentor, or discuss what’s on your mind with others
who’ve been there before!
 STRETEGIES OF HANDLING PUBERTY

Puberty is a time of big changes for children. Help children cope with puberty by
giving them facts, reassurance and support. Healthy lifestyle choices help children
feel OK about their changing bodies during puberty.
1. Brain storming sessions
• Stop and go
• Round robin
• Buzz sessions
2. Develop hope of success- stories of great
men
3. Framing different committees in the school
• Panchayat
• poor fund
• sports
• cleanliness
4. Debating clubs
5. Writing clubs
6. Encourage discussion in class
7. Enriched curriculum for the gifted
8. Remedial coaching to slow learners
9. Tutorials
10.Excursions and field trips
11.Sharing books with students
12.Continuous comprehensive evaluation
13.Reasonable teacher people ratio 1:60 or less
than 60
14.Teachers as good listeners
15.Democratic head of the institution
16.Disciplined teachers- identification
17.Arrangement of cultural activity programmes18.Indoor and outdoor games
19.Impartial teachers
20.Painting competition
21.Sex education
22.Essay competitions
23.Counselling- educational, vocational,
personal
24.Counselling approach to teaching
25.Awareness about ill effects of- drugs, antisocial behaviour,
eveteasing
26.Moral education
27.Awareness about benefits of- compassion,
empathy, social service
28.Immediate feedback for doing good- awards,
certificates of appreciation/participation
29.Participation in NCC and NSS programmers
30.Participation of students in decision making
body
31.Child centeredness in teaching
32.Diversified curriculum
33.Assigning projects to students- individual,
group34.Participation of students in different events cycle race,
tournaments, camping,
35.Encourage independence and responsibility
36.Conducting seminars
37.Counselling to problem children- shy,
delinquent, slow learner
38.Awareness about live and let live- helping
disabled or differently abled students
39.Availibility of a counsellor in a school
40.Minimized communication gap- parents and
teachers
 STRETEGIES OF PREVENTING SUISIDE

If a student commits suicide because they couldn't bear the pressure of education, it's
not a sign of their weakness, but that of the system of education.”
 HOW TO INTERVENE: A FOUR-STEP PROCESS OF
SUICIDE
teachers get formal training in suicide prevention (a good place to start is Living Works Start, which takes just 90
minutes online). Until then, she suggests this four-step process for responding to a student who you suspect is having
suicidal thoughts:

Engage the student in private conversation. Do this at the first sign that something is seriously wrong.

Listen with empathy, without trying to ‘fix’ the problem. “So you don’t want to say, You have so much to live for,”
Rogers says. “You want to say, Tell me more. How long has this been going on?“

Ask, “Are you thinking of suicide?” This is likely to be the most uncomfortable part of the conversations, but Rogers
insists that it’s vital to ask this question directly.

Connect the student with help. Rogers recommends going with the student to initiate a conversation with a school
counselor. This transparency shows partnership between colleagues, alleviates fear of the unknown in the student, and
gives the student agency in the process.
HOW EDUCATORS CAN WORK TOWARD PREVENTION
OF SUISIDE
Along with learning to recognize risk factors and warning signs, teachers can also incorporate practices that have a
positive impact more “upstream,” before significant problems develop into crises.

Embed Mental Health Education into the Curriculum

“It’s having those conversations and normalizing them within the school culture,” Rogers says. Embedding social-
emotional education into daily classroom teaching, the way Wendy Turner recommended in a past post, teaches
students that difficult emotions are a normal part of life, and it’s healthy to talk about them and ask for help when you
need it.
Nurture Student Relationships
“We know that kids that die by suicide often feel like they’re not connected or they don’t belong,” Rogers says. “So
any kind of way you can get students to collaborate more and get to know each other better and create that sense of
belonging and connectedness in your classroom, family, community, I think that is one of the biggest things you can
interject in your classroom.”
Teach Coping Skills

“Anytime you can integrate lessons that help kids with critical thinking and developing coping strategies and life skills,”
Rogers says, “those are what are going to help them through those difficult times and those adverse circumstances. Once
they practice them, they will remember them when they need to later on.”
Systematize Faculty Collaboration
Teachers and other professionals need to set up a protocol for how to communicate when a troubled student has been
identified. “Teachers need to know, I’ve identified this student. What happens next? Who do I go to? What does that
process look like?” Thinking through these processes ahead of time ensures that students don’t slip through the cracks.
Make Crisis Resources Visible
Printing and posting ads for Crisis Text Line gives students tools they can use to reach out for help.

Although the problem of youth suicide may seem overwhelming, Rogers’ message is ultimately one of hope. Teachers
are just as likely, if not more likely, to notice small changes or cries for help than other adults, simply because of the
amount of time spent with students. It’s crucial that we follow our instincts when we suspect something is wrong,
because taking action can save lives.

“Intervention works,” Rogers says. “Listening works. And resilience and recovery are not only possible, they’re
probable.”
 CONCLUSION

Letting go of emotional burden reduces stress. This step ensures that students can relieve their stress and depression
levels. A hotline for students to ensure confidentiality can help prevent suicides.

Research shows that academic stress leads to less well-being and an increased likelihood of developing anxiety or
depression. Additionally, students who have academic stress tend to do poorly in school. This shows how this stress
can keep kids from doing as well as they could.
THE END