The Wellness Center Takes on Student Stress

By: Samantha Wan

Understanding Student Stress

With the start of the new school year, students are challenged with stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelment. Especially after the Covid pandemic, researchers have found that the stress levels of students have increased an incredible amount. According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2020 survey, around 43 percent of the students reported that their stress levels went up, and 45 percent reported that they had a more difficult time focusing on schoolwork. There are many factors that can weigh on a student’s stress level, such as the pressures of social media platforms, lifestyle changes, and experiences of traumatic events in the past. These factors not only affect the physical wellbeing of students, but also play a large role in their mental and emotional health. As stress is a common challenge, it is important that students learn ways to help relieve their stress, in order to be the best versions of themselves. So, how can students potentially reduce the amount of stress they are feeling and what are some ways to help manage it?

Wellness Center Services

George Washington High School's Wellness coordinator, Veronica Garcia, was interviewed to help answer these questions and share about the services and resources that the Wellness Center provides for their students. “As the Wellness Center, we welcome all students to come for different reasons. We just really want to be a place of support and resources, which stress management is definitely a topic that students come into the Wellness Center for,” Garcia says. Garcia emphasizes how the Wellness Center is a safe place created for students to outlet themselves and talk about their feelings, while also discussing ways to relieve stressful or negative feelings. “A big factor that is effective is if both the student and provider are on the same page. The Wellness Center has a number of different therapists, where every therapist has their own style on how they interact with students. I think the biggest component is that the student is open to trying these things. Therapy is a process, and your therapist is there to help guide and support you.” With the Wellness Center, students are able to channel out their worries, as well as seeking new ways to better understand their fears 

and anxieties.

Stress Management Techniques

Garcia also shares about the different practices the Wellness Center uses when students come in feeling stressed or overwhelmed. They use several different practices, as it is important to recognize that everyone manages their stress in their own way. “Some strategies that students use may not work for everyone. For example, breathing techniques are a tool that some students use but it doesn’t always work for everybody. We find out what works for that particular student, and cater to that, such as breathing techniques, mindfulness activities, journaling, coloring, or even just talking about their experiences and processing that.” As students are put under the constant pressure from many different factors, being able to talk to someone who prioritizes their emotional goals can be a huge help.

Scheduling An Appointment

The Wellness Center, located in room 121, is open to students Monday through Friday. Students can visit the Wellness Center during school hours to schedule an appointment, or they can be referred there by a friend or adult. As the Wellness Center workers vary from nurses to therapists, and many others who would like to help, students are able to talk about their stress and feelings, without having to worry about feeling judged or that their problems are insignificant. 

As students are experiencing high levels of stress these days, it has become so essential to find effective ways to help manage and reduce their stress levels. The Wellness Center is an excellent resource that provides many different resources to help support students dealing with stress. Whether it is talking to a mental health professional about concerns, engaging in activities that suit a student’s comfortability, or taking breaks in between the day, all these strategies can significantly help to improve a student’s well-being and stress management.