Feeling Overwhelmed?
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This brief 30-minute exercise centered on growth mindset is designed to help teenagers better manage stress related to school. Researchers have found that a single session can serve as a long-lasting solution for teen stress.
By Jamie Parker
July 11, 2022
When it comes to supporting adolescents’ mental well-being, numerous aspects must be addressed: social anxieties, concerns about safety in educational settings, and pressures related to academic achievement, among others. Fortunately, a team of researchers has developed a 30-minute online course focused on cultivating a growth mindset to enhance how teenagers handle stressful situations, particularly those involving academics like giving presentations or achieving high grades. The best part? The course is entirely free and accessible to everyone.
Conducted by experts at the University of Texas at Austin, the program prompts participants to reflect on their previous stressful experiences in the classroom and learn how stress can be reframed as a tool for personal growth rather than a barrier to success. Dr. Alex Roberts, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the study, explained to The Guardian, “Our goal is to transform teens’ perceptions of stressful situations and their reactions to them. We want them to understand that feeling stressed during challenging tasks can actually be beneficial.”
The study involved 4,000 high school and college students, with some participating in the growth mindset intervention while others received a placebo, focusing on brain facts. The results showed that those who underwent the growth mindset training exhibited significantly lower stress responses, such as elevated heart rates. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
For those unfamiliar, a “growth mindset” contrasts with a “fixed mindset.” A child labeled as “bad at math” may develop a fixed mindset, leading to anxiety whenever confronted with math. In contrast, a student embracing a growth mindset might view their stress and physical symptoms—like a racing heart—as signs of cognitive development. Instead of adding to their anxiety, they interpret stress as motivation to improve their math skills, understanding that these feelings will fade as they progress.
Moreover, the study indicated that the benefits of this intervention are long-lasting. In a follow-up nine months later, students who participated in the growth mindset session were found to be 14% more likely to pass their classes by the end of the year. Roberts noted that this approach challenges the prevalent self-care mindset that regards stress solely as a negative experience to be avoided through distractions like yoga or herbal tea. “Such distractions don’t address the root causes of stress,” he added.
You can access the 30-minute intervention here. Even as an adult well beyond my school years, I found it helpful for reframing various stressful situations. Feel free to share this resource with any teen (or a friend who is a parent) feeling overwhelmed.
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In summary, a simple 30-minute growth mindset class has shown significant promise in helping teens navigate school-related stress. By shifting their perspective on stress, students can utilize these feelings as motivation to improve and succeed academically.