School can be a seriously competitive environment for our kids whether they’re at Key Stage 2, studying for an entrance exam, GCSEs or A Levels.
And what with extra-curricular activities often dominating after-school time (from sport commitments to the Duke of Edinburgh’s award), many conscientious students start to feel the pressure.
Homework heaps up, coursework deadlines loom – and before you know it, working hard to keep up crosses the line into burnout.
But what does it look like? And what can you do to steer them away from study stress?
Common Signs of Burnout
Being under constant pressure isn’t unusual, of course. Parents with high-pressured jobs or responsibilities will know how that feels.
However, burnout is different to just feeling tired or stressed. In our kids, it shows up as a combination of physical, physical and behavioural symptoms.
- Ongoing tiredness or trouble sleeping
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Loss of interest in learning or schoolwork
- Or excessive late nights working before bedtime
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Frequent headaches or stomach aches
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Mood swings, irritability, or tearfulness
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Drop in academic performance despite continued effort
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Withdrawal from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed
Recognise any of the signs?
Why Does Overwhelm Kick in?
In short, this depends on the specific student. But general causes include:
- Exam pressure
- Unrealistic expectations
- Fear of failure or letting people down
- Packed schedules with little downtime
- Comparison to peers or siblings
While academic stress is normal, overwhelm looks like someone’s in a rut they can’t get out of.
How to Handle Burnout
1.One of the best things you can do is to celebrate effort over outcome.
While it matters that your child achieves their best, if you praise consistent effort and progress (not just grades), it can take the pressure off.
2. Build in downtime away from a desk. It might be a weekend or specific evenings with cut-off study times.
Encouraging them to have a mental break will help their overall performance anyway.
3. Model balance yourself. It’s really okay to rest and recharge the batteries. In fact, it’s essential.
4. It might be that your child is struggling with an issue and twisting themselves into knots late into the night. This happens too often.
Ask yourself: would your child benefit from speaking to a professional? Perhaps a head of year at school, a doctor, a counsellor?
A Problem shared is a problem halved
Working hard is admirable. Working smart is a better academic goal.
That’s why we as personal tutors make it our duty to teach holistically – to help our students study smarter so they stay healthy, motivated and happy in the long run.
In fact, parental feedback is unanimous. Arranging targeted sessions with one of our trusted private tutors can cut anxiety in half.
All you initially need do is get in touch just for a chat. No obligation, no hard sell. Our conversations start by listening to what the problem is. We go from there…
*Image courtesy of BBC Bitesize online
Tags: A Level pressure, entrance exams, exam pressure, GCSEs, student stress