Let’s talk about STRESS

Published August 28, 2020

Rightly, in my opinion there has been much talk of well being in the context of schools re-opening.

Obviously, education and academic achievement are important but as a parent a teacher and a human I would say well being must take an even higher priority. We also know that one of the things that is particularly damaging for our health is stress. It can literally have an impact of every aspect of physical and mental well being.

Different types of stress

We also know that a little bit of stress is good for us it helps us perform well and often could keep us out of danger with quick thinking and responses. It is usually short lived and generally doesn’t cause any lasting damage. When it comes to learning there is often an element of stress – the good kind – if that is the only stress.

There is also what is often called tolerable stress. This is often longer lasting and will occur in situations of loss or tension, things like relationship difficulties, financial insecurities, worries about health and many more. Most adults cope with this kind of stress, especially if they have the support of others who can help them manage this stress, but it takes effort and it depletes our resources. What we sometimes notice is that when the there is a let up of the stress we succumb to some illness – the body has survived but might not be unscathed.

Then there is what is known as toxic stress – overwhelming stress with little support or ‘buffering’ from others. This kind of stress might occur when a child grows up experiencing abuse, neglect, domestic violence or other adversities and trauma. In children this stress can have a profound impact on the developing brain.

This may mean children are less able than peers to manage stress – frequently flipping into a survival mode with a fight, flight, freeze response as they feel threatened by relatively ‘ordinary’ events and struggle to feel safe and manage their feelings.

Response to Stress

Pause for a minute to think about a time you experienced stress. Think about how you ‘felt’ it in your body, many people might experience stiff shoulders from being tense, a churned-up stomach, headache or many more. What about your behaviour? Did you become withdrawn and quiet or maybe snappy or irritable, maybe you ‘took it out’ on your closest friends’ colleagues. Of course, you didn’t mean to its just that one extra little provocation was the last straw.

That’s us the emotionally mature, well-regulated, professional adults.

So, what about children and young people in schools.  As teachers we usually know our students, we notice when something might be a bit ‘off’. Hopefully we respond in the way we would if we noticed that a colleague seemed out of sorts. We’d ask how they were, if everything was all right offer some support or at least say we are there if needed.

Yet when it comes to vulnerable children, the ones most likely to have experienced toxic stress  (and many others whose whole lockdown experience may have been stressful) we often focus straight on the behaviours, with ‘stop that’s’, ‘that’s not the way we behave’ or even ‘if you do that again it’s a sanction’.

Yet one of the impacts of stress is that it will cause issues with concentration getting on with peers and more. Managing stress can take a huge amount of effort. We need to be careful we don’t sanction students for things they can’t help – that’s what reasonable adjustments are all about.

Reducing Stress

If we want to prioritise well being then one of the simple things we can do is to think about stress, what causes stress for the individuals or groups concerned. The job of SLT is the to reduce the stress for staff who will then be able to reduce stress for students. At this point it is worth thinking about what are the issues that cause stress in your school or setting that can be changed – because of course not all can. Identifying what the stressors might be for a student is a good first step.

Student Stress

Simply coming back into school will cause stress for some students, they may be worried that they will take infection home, that they may not be with friends, that they will have ‘fallen behind’, that teachers may find out they’ve done no work, or even picked up a pen for months that the bullies who caused problems before, might be in the same ‘bubble’ or hundreds of other things. Separation from parents after a prolonged time at home could be a huge stress and some will be nervous that the good relationships, they had with school staff prior to Covid, may now have gone, they may have been replaced and this could feel like a rejection.

Student Stress

Simply coming back into school will cause stress for some students, they may be worried that they will take infection home, that they may not be with friends, that they will have ‘fallen behind’, that teachers may find out they’ve done no work, or even picked up a pen for months that the bullies who caused problems before, might be in the same ‘bubble’ or hundreds of other things. Separation from parents after a prolonged time at home could be a huge stress and some will be nervous that the good relationships, they had with school staff prior to Covid, may now have gone, they may have been replaced and this could feel like a rejection.

The good news is that whatever the stress ways of reducing it will probably be the same.

• Ensure adults remain regulated (stress can be passed on – so staff self-regulation is key)
• Acknowledge that some students will not be able to deal with stress and regulate without a calm adult.
• Anticipate stressors, share knowledge of students (confidentiality must be respected but if conversations have happened during time away from school that have identified stressors these should be shared)
• Tougher with new students, but for returning students think about how they show stress, how do they tell you they aren’t coping.
• Agree ways to respond to the first signs that a student is stressed or not coping.
• Deal with the stress rather that what they are doing do show you they are stressed (unless of course they are hurting themselves or others in which make sure everyone safe then deal work with the stress, help student calm and regulate and then reflect.
• Have a whole range of regulation activities (ways to calm) ready to offer students – there’s plenty here to try here
• Through reflection, when student is calm, teach about the impact of stress, what happens in the brain and body when we are stressed and ways then can manage those feelings without being overwhelmed. This won’t happen in one session!
• Help them develop an emotional language so they can articulate their needs.
• Work in collaboration with student so they can recognise their own stress and devise plans so they know where and how to get help at first signs of stress.

Well being should indeed be a priority every member of staff needs to understand how to regulate themselves and prioritise their own well being. It is also vital that every adult in every setting has some understanding of the impact of trauma, attachment and adversity on the behaviour of students in the classroom. Increased stress will have a negative impact on everyone but especially the vulnerable.  If we want to get them to a place they can learn we need first to reduce stress.

Check out the summary PDF here