Secondary school is a stressful time – between exams, friendship drama or the constant “what are you planning for the future?” question, it can be overwhelming. Our scoping review research confirmed that these pressures aren’t just in your head; they significantly influence how you think and feel about school and life (Kovacic & Forkan, 2024).
The good news? You aren’t stuck in a constant state of stress. By understanding how our brain handles pressure and learning how we strengthen that capacity, we can move from feeling “stressed out” to feeling prepared.
Stress is one of the biggest factors that can influence our wellbeing. Have you ever sat down for an exam and suddenly forgotten everything you studied? That’s your body taking over!
However, some stress can be good! Stress is the body’s response to any demands upon it. Good stress (eustress) can enhance focus, increase productivity and memory. For example, that “nervous excitement” before a match or performance is good stress kicking in! (Selye, 1976)
When we are in distress, however, we can lose focus, activate our “fight or flight” and if this continues for long durations, it can lead to health damage.
Ok so let’s set the scene; you are in an exam, and you look at the clock and feel like you won’t finish in time. All of a sudden, you can’t remember what you were going to write!
Let’s have a look and see what is happening in your brain:
The amygdala (our brains panic button) is screaming “Danger!”. When this happens, the stress hormone cortisol is released. This hormone messes with our hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Our hippocampus helps with memory transfer/processing & stress regulation whilst our prefrontal cortex is for memory storage and information processing. So essentially, this high level of stress we feel has hindered our brain’s ability to communicate information effectively!
As we know now, the amygdala picks up our stress and the hippocampus helps to regulate this stress. So, in order to manage stress, we need to build up our hippocampus.
The best ways to strengthen this part of our brain is through things called CBT and mindfulness. CBT is cognitive behavioural therapy – we are essentially training our brain to deal with and handle stressful situations effectively.
1. CBT is all about how our thoughts effect our feelings and subsequently effect our actions eg. “My friends all hate me” (thought) – sad, lonely, worthless (feeling) – becoming distant, avoiding social events, stop reaching out (action). Because you stop reaching out (action), you friends might stop inviting you, which “proves” your initial thought that they hate you, making you feel even worse. This can create a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. Of course, the thoughts we have can be true, however we can’t change what others do – only what we do!
So instead, CBT suggests we challenge these negative thoughts with more balanced interpretations. Eg. “My friends might be busy or stressed; it’s unlikely that they all suddenly hate me” (thought) – relief, neutrality, mild disappointment (feeling) – sending a check-in text or having a chat next time you see them. By doing this we train ourselves to not only think more positively but also lower cortisol (stress) by helping out our hippocampus.
2. Mindfulness is basically weightlifting for our hippocampus. Research shows that consistent mindfulness increases the density of the hippocampus and decreases the size of the amygdala (Havard Gazette, 2011). It helps our brain build up its ability to detect threats and respond appropriately to stress-inducing situations. However, this only works if we consistently do mindfulness – there are many online resources such as meditations and mindfulness that can help us get started!
3. We now know that our brain processes are not fixed and can be strengthen - but in order to put in the time to develop mental agility we need to protect our foundations first:
- Sleep: Sleep is when the brain processes memories, clears waste, and repairs the body. We should aim for at least 8hrs of consistent sleep each night to feel alert and functional during the day.
- Food: Nutrition fuels attention and mood. Balanced meals with steady energy (carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats) help keep focus stable across the day.
- Exercise: Movement increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. Even short walks or brief workouts lift attention, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality.
- Connection: We saw during COVID-19 how isolation breeds anxiety. We derive a part of who we are from the people we interact with - staying connected with the people in your life is vital for development and feeling good.
The real question is: we know what we COULD be doing to help our wellbeing but how do we actually keep up good habits? Well, the answer is discipline and rewards!- Everything in life takes a level of discipline to achieve it. Don’t just say you want to pick up a habit, know exactly when, what and how you will do it. Make abstract concepts into concrete ideas. This can help us to stay motivated and keep going! (Mohamed & Bayat, 2022)
- Rewards aren’t “extra” - they are essential. They refuel our motivational self-regulation, making it easier to start the next task and reinforcing positive behaviour for the tasks you have done! (Kamery, 2004)
TIP: Disconnect to reconnect - giving yourself permission to stop if the pressure is too much and do something you love is a biological necessity, not a waste of time. There is no reason for us to damage our brain and body, you are allowed to take a step back if you need to – know your boundaries!
At the end of the day, our brain is designed to constantly change and adapt. Through small things like mindfulness and CBT, we can physically strengthen our brain and develop the ability to manage stress.
By protecting our foundations and practicing stress reducing techniques, we give ourselves the strength to handle whatever situation comes our way! Stress is a natural part of life, but with the right tools, we can turn that pressure into the fuel that drives us forward.
