Did you know that:About a third of teens say their stress level has increased in the past year (31%) or believe their stress level will increase in the coming year (34%)Nearly half of teens (42%) report they are not doing enough or are not sure if they are doing enough to manage their stressMore than 1 in 10 (13%) say they never set aside time to manage stressThis information, culled from a recent APA study, was at the heart of a wonderful talk given Nov. 2 in Alumni Hall by Katie Godbout Hurley '93, author of the new book, The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World.Although the focus of Hurley's talk, sponsored by the Parent Education Committee and the Office of Institutional Advancement, was on stress in tweens and teens, there is increasing evidence that kids are learning stress from adults:43% of adults report that their stress level has increased36% say their stress level has stayed the same over the past five yearsAdults' average reported stress level is 5.1 on a 10-point scale -- far higher than the 3.6 level they think is healthy10% of adults say they do not engage in any stress-management activitiesBut experts say that adults also have the chance to teach kids a better way. "Parents and other adults can play a critical role in helping teens get a handle on stress by modeling healthy stress management behaviors," said APA CEO and Executive Vice President Norman B. Anderson, PhD. Here are a few ideas from Katie Hurley:Sleep. It bears repeating: Teens need more sleep (9 hours) than they are getting (7 hours). Adults do too!Exercise. When under stress, people often cut out the things that will help them most. Being physically active helps relieve tension and improves mood.Mindfulness. A mindfulness curriculum is increasingly important to many schools. School Counselor Chastity Rodriguez '91 is introducing this topic in her Form 3 VQV class, on the heels of a Mindfulness Fundamentals Course she just completed through Mindful Schools. Here is an example of one of her guided meditations.Gratitude. Expressing gratitude has a positive effect on bodies and minds. Just saying "thank you" can improve self-esteem, happiness, and resilience. A study of gratitude done by Boston College student Josh Coyne reinforces this idea. Many KO students have replicated this study for their independent research project in May.
