High School students today deal with more than any other generation so far. Most students struggle to juggle multiple activities outside of school, after-school jobs, a social life, and of course, their coursework for school.

According to a 2015 study by NYU nearly 50% of all high school students complain of high-stress levels. Teens are still young and learning to balance multiple things in their lives at once.  As of July 2022, 55% of teens aged 16-20 reported having an after-school job. Of those students with jobs, 30% of them are also student-athletes.

Mental health is getting more awareness than ever but often times stress in students is overlooked. Being overworked has become the norm for students today. With so much on their plates having a social life can lose priority taking an even larger toll on students with less access to their support system.  

While some students manage several activities just fine, many can struggle unnoticed. While being seen as lazy or unmotivated many students are just trying to manage their stress which can lead to other mental health issues. According to the Red Cross, long-term stress can have several physiological impacts causing irritability, aggression, insomnia, and exhaustion. Long-term stress also puts students at a greater risk of developing anxiety and depression.

While mental health advocacy has come a long way many students now deal with great amounts of stress with little notice by those around them. Balancing multiple sports, jobs, time with friends and family, and maintaining good grades is expected of students. Students that fail to balance everything can fall behind in school, miss classes or assignments, stop seeing their friends, or quit activities they are passionate about many of these students get put off by others as being lazy or unmotivated.

I think more focus should be put on stress management in schools than what is currently taught. Students are taught briefly in health class stress management techniques but nothing is really done in schools to help students manage their school life in addition to after-school activities.