The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but they can also be a time where your teenagers are more stressed out than normal. At Hope High School Online, we find that our Arizona virtual high school students start worrying about how to juggle their time with the added commitments, testing, managing homework assignments during the holiday break, and of course the common stressors like family get togethers and unrealistic holiday expectations. Today’s blog provides stress reduction tips to help our Arizona online school students and families enjoy the holidays!
Holiday Stress Reduction Tips for Arizona Virtual High School Students
Teenagers process emotions differently than adults do, as their brains are not fully matured yet. Because of this, emotions are not naturally regulated by reasoning skills. Parents can help their teenagers recognize when their emotional responses are elevated, and teach them how to problem solve whatever the issue is that is creating the emotional response. Teaching coping skills will benefit students for a lifetime.
Increased anxiety can be expressed with emotional outbursts, emotional retreat, and even physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, nail biting, excessive hair twisting or pulling, skin picking, etc. Our staff stays in tune with our Arizona virtual high school students, and our students do express their anxiety to us so that we can help. We do, however, rely on parents to be the “eyes”, as we are not in physical contact with the student.
If you notice that your teenager is demonstrating symptons of anxiety, the first step is to help your student acknowledge and understand anxiety. Educate your teenager about the biological realities of being a teenager. Teenage emotions are typically bigger than the reality of the situation because of how their body is maturing right now. Additionally, the body has a natural “fight or flight” response, and when negative emotions are peaking, fight or flight kicks in, and with it, your student acts in response to the body’s response to perceived danger. It’s important for your student to know that feelings in and of themselves don’t necessarily make something a fact. Identifying the root cause of the emotion, and then applying truth to the situation can reduce anxiety and fear.
For example, if your teenager is stressed out by having to do something they don’t want to do at our Arizona online school like taking end of semester tests that they don’t feel they will be successful at, help your student walk through the facts. It could go something like this: “You seem stressed out, what’s on your mind?”. When the situation is identified, you can then walk through the facts. “OK, I know this test is a big deal and you need to do well on it. Let’s talk about how you have prepared for it.” Then walk through the preparation. If you identify that your student has adequately prepared, then encourage them to practice to increase their confidence and decrease their anxiety levels. If they haven’t prepared adequately, then help your student identify steps necessary to be prepared, and then encourage the practice to increase confidence.
Our Arizona Online School is Committed to Our Students and Families
Our Arizona online school staff is more than happy to help equip parents with training skills to share with their teenagers to help them succeed. The unique educational approach at Hope High School Online teaches our students life skills like time management, personal responsibility, and critical thinking skills, as we are committed to helping our students succeed in life. These life skills empower our Arizona online school students, and 8 out of 10 go on to higher education!
Hope High School Online staff is honored that you have entrusted the education of your teenager to our Arizona virtual high school. We are committed to giving our students and families the quality education and personal support they need to succeed. Read more success tips HERE. If you need additional support to help your teenager succeed, please reach out to your student’s success coach. If you don’t know who that is, please call our office and we can connect you. Together, we create educational and life success for your student!