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Students need to be told that their mental health matters

Holly is one of the fantastic activists involved in the YoungMinds Vs campaign. As part of our School Stress campaign, she has shared her experiences of schools stress and how schools can improve.

The two years I spent studying for my GCSEs were undoubtedly the most stressful time of my life. I’m currently nearing the end of my second year at university and despite juggling society commitments, work for my degree, volunteering placements, and having to do all my own cooking and washing, I am far more relaxed and happy than I ever was at school.

I often found myself sucked into a relentless cycle of early mornings to catch the bus, a hard day of work at school, hours of homework when I returned home that ate late into the night because I couldn’t concentrate due to exhaustion and worry, followed by another early school morning the next day. It’s so easy to get stuck in this pattern, and so hard to get out of it.

I struggled with perfectionism – I couldn’t bear to let my grades drop, and so I put my mental health on the line instead. I suffered with anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. School consumed my time for relaxation, friends, and family. I couldn’t enjoy ‘fun’ activities because the guilt for neglecting my work eclipsed any enjoyment I might have got out of them.

I think schools should make a real effort to prioritise the mental health of their students over their grades, at all times, not just around examinations. Any talks or presentations we had around mental health (which were very few and far between) centred around exams and our performance in them. Students need to be told that their mental health matters for themselves, not because their grades might suffer if they have difficulties.

Very few teachers made any allowance for the fact that we often had hours of work from other subjects to complete when they set us big assignments with small deadlines. Ideally, a centralised approach to homework would ensure that subject teachers didn’t set more than their students would handle.

In terms of tips for other young people during exam time, I would say, above all: get enough sleep. Talk to your family, to your friends – let them help you if you’re struggling. Structure your work and relaxation time, so when you’re finished an hour of work, you can have a genuine break without worrying that you should be studying. And remember that whatever you’re going through, you are never alone, and you can get help if you need it.

Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to check out our School Stress pack.

Tamanna is one of the great activists involved with YoungMinds Vs. As part of the School Stress campaign she blogs about how stress impacted on her and how you can make positive changes.

Embarking upon sixth form was a really stressful time for me. It was a really big jump, and I didn’t feel like I could cope with the pressure of working so independently. My school was going through a lot of changes at the time too, and I was struggling with how I fitted in.

I became more and more depressed and anxious, and I felt like I wasn’t getting any support. Careers advisers weren’t much help – they just told you to look things up yourself and the pressure from family and peers to succeed just made things worse. I was really behind and worked myself in to a really deep hole, where no matter how much I tried it was never enough for me, my teachers or my parents.

Getting involved in campaigns and activism gave me a new direction. I became involved with numerous different charities as well as in my local community. I wanted to make sure that young people’s voices like mine were heard.

It helped me to breathe – If it wasn’t for the stuff that I got involved in I probably wouldn’t be sitting here today. It allowed me to meet new people, make new friends and go in to another world without being scrutinised or judged.

When stress at school gets tough, nobody should feel alone. There are so many young people that go through this on a daily basis. Do something positive with your time – it doesn’t matter if that’s campaigning, or drama or anything else that you enjoy. Make sure that you talk to somebody and don’t get bogged down thinking about grades. Some people think that we only have one chance at this sort of thing, but if you break down barriers and try something new then you might be able to get a second chance.

Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to check out our School Stress pack.

As young people we can succeed without top exam grades

Rose is one of our brilliant YoungMinds Vs activists. As part of our School Stress campaign, she shares her experiences of school stress, mindfulness and alternative avenues of education.

School stress has really followed me right through my time in education. GCSE and A Level exams were when it really came to a head, but right through school there is the pressure of trying to keep up with your peers. You’re put into sets for some subjects and have your work compared to other people. It’s like a competition from day one.

I felt like a failure because no matter how hard I worked, I felt I could never be good enough in the eyes of my school and the exam boards. As a result, my mood dropped lower and lower and my anxiety began to increase to an unmanageable level.

I was lucky in that I had the support of various professionals, and was put on medication to control my symptoms. I found that mindfulness was invaluable in managing my anxiety symptoms and staying connected to myself.

As young people, it’s important that we speak out about school stress and bring up how we are feeling with parents, teachers and peers. We have to make sure that everyone understands how these pressures take their toll.

It’s important to remember that exams are not the end of the world and that grades are not the definition of anyone. As young people we can succeed without top exam grades, and should never be scared of pursuing alternative forms of education such as apprenticeships and BTECs.

Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to check out our School Stress pack.

Attitude is the only element of life that we have full control over

Billy is one of the fantastic activists involved in the YoungMinds Vs campaign. As part of our School Stress campaign, he shares his thoughts on how stress impacted on him at school, and how you can help yourself get through it.

I have experienced a lot of unnecessary stress at school in recent exams and there are lots of different reasons as to why. It’s not as straightforward as ‘exams are stressful’. There are worries about not doing as well as you’re predicted, competition with peers, satisfying parents, dealing with stigma and the expectations of teachers.

I think my school stress has been very strongly linked to my psychological inability to cope with new environments and challenges – confidence issues in short.

It’s stress that transfers in to your personal life too. In the past I have been able to overcome social isolation but exam stress seemed to bring these issues out. I was haunted by the prospect of failure this over indulgence of stress made me change the way I behaved around others.

I had to overcome these demons and began to explore self reflection. I was able to find simpler happiness in everyday life. I found that basic rational emotive thinking helped me to change my otherwise negative view on failing. I realised that competition was not going to make me happy in life, so I began to focus more on what I felt most passionate about.

Being happy can be really simple compared to worrying about something that is out of your control. Attitude is the only element of life that we have full control over. Simple techniques such as writing down what is bothering you and making steps towards seeing it differently can lead to really positive changes.

It’s important to challenge the way we perceive things. The mind is the most powerful thing, and if you can reclaim full control of your thought patterns you can start to understand yourself better. Changing the way you feel about something and finding positivity will always have a huge impact on emotional wellbeing.

Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to check out our School Stress pack.

Activist quotes on school and exam stress