By Alexis De Leon

In an effort to raise general awareness of the causes and treatments for the stress epidemic, April has been designated as ‘Stress Awareness Month’ since 1992. Today’s public health is plagued by a serious issue with stress and bad mental health. Kuwait Times interviewed senior high school students to share their experiences with stress and tension.

Yaraa Ali

Kuwait Times spoke with Yaraa Ali, a High Honors Achiever in Grade 11 GAS strand, to learn more about stress and she mentioned that from past topics in class, stress is the body’s way to reacting to change that requires adjustment or response. She said “Stress is a normal part of life. It can be positive and negative, but it’s basically just a reaction of your body and mind to any challenge or demand.”

Althea Dimapilis, a High Honors Achiever in Grade 11 STEM strand, shared “My burnout was so tiring, it’s a constant cycle of wanting to do something but not having the motivation to do it, and being more disappointed in myself for not giving my all. I lost all motivation to go to school, studying for quizzes and exams, and even talking to friends sometimes.” Hanayen Al-Faraj, an aspiring 17-year-old artist, was asked if she felt like she was under an unhealthy amount of pressure, said, “I was considered a genius when I was a kid and as I grew up, I lost that ‘intelligence’.

It feels like a lot of pressure since people expect me to still be how I was when I was younger.” Continuing with the interview, the students discussed their ways for unwinding and reducing tension, Ali pointed out “I just sleep to relieve stress, but also, I play games. I play calming games, I don’t play Valorant or anything like that when I’m too stressed because I get really overwhelmed. Games like Unpacking or Genshin Impact, specifically for the farming because I don’t like fighting as well as making PowerPoints!”

Hanayen Al-Faraj

Al-Faraj said “To relieve stress, I try to get my mind off things that are stressing me out by distracting myself with hobbies like listening to music or taking a rest before I can go back to that situation and deal with it.” Gracia Prameswari, an aspiring 16-year-old dancer, shared as well. “I guess maybe just think about something else, I listen to music that would make me feel better and I typically just sleep. It’s like fast-forwarding time and skipping a small chunk of the day, I also gain energy from it so I think it’s a good way to relieve stress.”

WebMD states that stress frequently serves as a catalyst for bodily health issues like high blood pressure and heart problems as well as mental health problems like anxiety and depression. We still don’t pay it the attention it deserves even though it has a big impact on us. Burnout, which is characterized by mental, emotional, and physical fatigue, can result from persistent and excessive stress. If we keep undermining the effects of stress and what harm it can do to our bodies, it can only make things worse for our entire well-being. In light of this, we ought to pay attention to our physical and mental wellbeing.

The “Thirty Day Challenge,” promoted during Stress Awareness Month, urges participants to take one action that will improve their physical, mental, and emotional health each day of April. Openly discussing your difficulties with loved ones, peers, and coworkers will help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. It is important to take care of others, but it is just as important to take care of yourself.