Stress Week

We all know finals is coming up, we also all know what that entails: studying, studying, studying, and some last minute cramming.  What finals week also brings with it, is a lot of stress for some people.  But what exactly is stress?  Stress is the body's way of reacting to change, whether it be mental or physical, which elicits the emotional or
sometimes physical response we know as stress.  Stress is a natural part of life, finals are not and are quite a change for some people from the usual routine.  Imagine being told that for 20% you are required to sum up everything you've learned over the course of 6 months of schooling?  What a crazy idea.  Well, it happens, and it happens enough that 1/3 of teenagers deal with chronic stress.  Natural right?  Sure, but if left untreated, chronic childhood stress can lead to emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia.  In a study conducted in 2009 in the "APA Stress Survey", 1/3 of high school teens and adults around the nation were dealing with chronic stress in their lives, many of which were also suffering from the symptoms mentioned above.  In a more recent study in Sweden conducted last year, 1/3 of 16 year olds were found dealing with chronic stress.  What does this have to do with us you might ask; if statistically Sweden has higher test scores and a better schooling system then the US, imagine the stress that hasn't been discovered in surveys across our nation in schools such as our own New Trier.  In the even bigger picture humans evolved to live in small groups working together in hunter-gatherer societies, but in what one might argue an un-evolvable amount of time, humans are now connected more than ever.  Not only are we with friends at school or on a weekend, but in constant contact all the time whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, a late on on the Xbox, or even good old fashion texting.  Don't lie to yourself- it's a lot to manage.  To tie it all together, stress is the body's reaction to change as I previously mentioned.   We as Americans are constantly experience change in our daily lives with friends, family, classes, workload, sports, and whatever else goes on in our lives.  Sometimes it's a good idea to unplug, disconnect, and take a flight to Chilladelphia for a little while.  We're Americans, a lot goes on, we get stressed, so just remember it's natural and relax- finals only last a week.