By Charles Barnard, founder of Success Institutes.
“I just want it to stop,” 15 year old Jasmine whispered through tears in the school counselor’s office.
She wasn’t talking about bullying or a broken heart.
She was talking about school… the endless tests, the 10 p.m. homework marathons, and the constant pressure to perform.
Jasmine’s body ached with fatigue.
Her stomach was queasy every morning.
Her mind raced constantly, but her heart felt numb.
What she didn’t yet understand (and what many teens are just beginning to articulate) is that school stress isn’t just a burden…
It’s a health risk.
The Rising Tide of Stress
For years, educators, parents, and mental health experts have documented the growing pressure teens feel in academic environments.
What’s changed in recent years is that teens themselves are speaking up… not just about being stressed, but about feeling sick from it.
The American Psychological Association (APA, 2014) reported that teens rate their stress levels during the school year higher than what they believe is healthy, and even higher than the average adult.
Beyond the statistics lies a deeper truth: stress isn’t simply about grades or schedules…
For teens, it cuts into identity, wellness, and connection.
Academic Expectations and the Fear of Failure
Sixteen year old Mateo wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to study for Advanced Placement exams.
By 10 p.m., he’s still working, grinding through online quizzes and outlining essays.
“I feel like if I don’t succeed, I won’t matter,” he confessed in a school newspaper interview.
“I’m not sleeping. I have no time to see my friends. My head hurts all the time. But if I slow down, I’ll fall behind.”
Mateo’s story is not uncommon.
According to Challenge Success (2020), over 70% of high school students report experiencing school related stress, and more than half feel chronically exhausted.
These are not just growing pains.
Chronic adolescent stress has been linked to:
Hormonal imbalances, disrupted sleep, digestive issues, weakened immunity, increased risk of anxiety and depression.
The Physical Symptoms of an Invisible Strain
Jasmine’s stomachaches weren’t imagined.
Teens under academic pressure often report headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems, and fatigue, as noted by the APA (2014).
Yet many school systems still assume that stress is simply part of growing up. Or worse, see it as a motivator.
When teens begin to associate learning with suffering, their motivation can fade.
More dangerously, they can start to normalize their distress.
Seventeen year old Ella shared during a classroom discussion that she had experienced panic attacks before math class, but dismissed it as just what school has become.
In this quiet resignation, teens may recognize their stress but fail to grasp the long term health consequences.
A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health (Pascoe et al., 2020) found that students reporting high academic stress also experienced lower levels of well being and higher rates of sleep disturbances and psychosomatic symptoms.
The Erosion of Relationships and Identity
School is more than academics for teens.
It is the primary social space where they explore identity, build relationships, and develop independence.
When academic pressure overshadows everything else, emotional and spiritual growth suffers.
Ethan, a high achieving junior, stepped away from youth group and basketball practice because of his AP workload.
He explained that he missed his friends, but felt that without admission to a good college, none of it would matter.
His once close relationships dwindled to brief texts and canceled plans.
The price of academic success for Ethan was connection.
This price is not unnoticed by teens.
In a national survey by the Pew Research Center (2019), 61% of teens reported feeling significant pressure to earn good grades, higher than the numbers for those worried about social media or appearance.
Yet even as they strive to meet expectations, many teens express feelings of disconnection and emptiness.
When young people define themselves by performance rather than internal growth, any failure can feel catastrophic.
This mindset not only heightens the risk for mental health struggles but can stunt the development of a balanced and grounded identity, as Steinberg (2014) points out.
Recognizing the Risk: A Shift in Awareness
Despite these challenges, teens today are increasingly aware that school stress is not just an annoyance but a threat to their well being.
In 2022, a Colorado high school held a student led forum called “The Stress Epidemic.”
More than 200 students shared anonymous stories of sleepless nights, panic attacks, and emotional numbness.
One student wrote that they no longer knew who they were, only that they had to pass chemistry.
These voices reflect a cultural shift.
As conversations about mental health become more accepted, teens are more willing to name how school stress impacts their bodies, minds, and relationships.
But awareness alone won’t change the story.
Mindset, Meaning, and the Need for Change
At the heart of this issue is mindset, what teens believe about success, value, and health.
If stress is seen as a badge of honor or an unavoidable price for achievement, it becomes harder to challenge.
Real change requires new narratives and approaches.
Teens need to understand that their worth is not defined by test scores.
They need role models (parents, teachers, and mentors) who show that emotional well being and academic achievement can coexist.
They need practical tools like breathwork, time management strategies, emotional regulation skills, and supportive peer connections.
They need to reframe their thinking and transform their relationship with stress.
When 18 year old Priya joined her school’s wellness club, she expected little more than yoga and snacks.
Instead, she found a space for reflection and growth.
She shared that she once believed any time not spent on productivity was wasted, but now understands that rest itself is productive.
Her priorities shifted, allowing her to pursue success without sacrificing her health.
Moving Forward: What Teens and Adults Can Do
Teens may not always have the words to describe how stress affects them, but they feel it deeply and are increasingly speaking up about their need for balance and boundaries.
They are asking for systems that see them as whole people rather than simply as students.
Schools can respond by fostering mindsets that help students see stress as manageable and growth promoting rather than overwhelming.
Teaching coping skills, creating supportive environments, and encouraging resilience are crucial steps.
Parents can help too by asking reflective questions that disrupt stressful thought patterns, such as “You seem quite stressed right now, how are you creating this stress?”
Such moments of reflection can interrupt destructive cycles, even briefly, and open the door to healthier ways of thinking.
Above all, teens need permission to prioritize well being and believe that who they are matters more than what they produce.
A Brighter Path Forward
Weeks after her tearful visit to the counselor, Jasmine had begun therapy, was sleeping better, and had dropped one of her honors classes.
She still wanted to succeed but no longer at the cost of disappearing under the weight of school stress.
That is the hope, that our students won’t vanish beneath impossible expectations, that we will listen when they tell us they’re hurting, and that together we will redefine success in ways that protect their futures and their health.
References:
- American Psychological Association. (2014). Stress in America: Are teens adopting adults’ stress habits? https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2014/stress-report.pdf
- Challenge Success. (2020). The well-balanced student: A research brief. https://challengesuccess.org/resources/the-well-balanced-student/
- Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(2), 205–216.
- Pew Research Center. (2019). Most U.S. teens see anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/
- Romeo, R. D. (2010). Adolescence: A central event in shaping stress reactivity. Developmental Psychobiology, 52(3), 244–253. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.20437
- Steinberg, L. (2014). Age of opportunity: Lessons from the new science of adolescence. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.