Pepper Box - Stress, Anxiety and Pressure Special Edition

Special Edition

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Stress takes a physical toll Staff and students report physical ailments that have occurred due to extra stress on a daily basis

Written By: Kaitlyn Broomfield Stress can take as much of a toll on your body as it can on your mind.

Stress affects almost everyone at some point in their life; it can make people lose sleep, focus, and confidence. Inner turmoil is not the only thing that stress can cause though, large amounts of stress or long term stress can turn into physical afflictions such as migraines, back pain, vomiting, and rashes.

“Some common short term effects on the body due to stress can be nausea and vomiting, muscle twitching, tight muscles that cause neck pain or pain in the shoulders,” health teacher Matthew Elder said.

“The body’s reaction to stress really depends on the individual. Everyone experiences it in different ways.”

Depending on how much stress there is in someone’s life, and for how long it is occuring, the stress can either

Illustration by: Kayley Norman

affect people for short periods of time or have lasting effects.

“Some people eat to cope with their stress and a long term effect is weight gain. This is a pretty common long term effect of stress on the body brought on by how we react to it; eating.

Elder said.

One reaction of the body to stress is to tighten muscles, which over long periods of time can lead to headaches from the tension in areas like the head, neck, and back.

“I know I have had a stressful day when my shoulders feel really tight. If it gets too bad I need a massage to get the tension out of my shoulders,” Elder said.

Almost everyone does get stressed at some point, and as the school year progresses there can be more and more pressure built up on students, whether it is about school or in their personal life.

“I tend to get constant headaches, stomach pains, and overall discomfort.

There was this one time I had such a bad headache from stress from the amount of homework I had that I was in a ton of pain and overall unable to do anything,” sophomore Devin Sanders said.

Pressure can lead students to experience physical manifestations of stress, sometimes hindering them and making it hard for them to get through their day.

“When finals are approaching, and when grades are due, there indeed exists an underlying pain; specifically headaches. They can be severe, or light,” senior Jazmin Brevik said. “The pain I would feel is both emotionally and physically stressful. During this time, keeping it together is hard.”

Aside from headaches, chest pain, and back pain, people can have many other different reactions to stress, one of which can be rashes and othe issues with the skin.

“In middle school I broke out in

hives all over my skin for no other reason than stress. They constantly burned and I was really self conscious of them,” senior Jada Freeman said.

“The hives made it hard for me to focus in school because of the burning they caused.”

Just like students, teachers also experience stress for a multitude of different reasons and each with different experiences.

“During particularly stressful years, I have had chest pains. One year I had a particularly challenging class at the end of the day. The constant stress manifested itself as chest pains, so I had many hard days that year,” English teacher Angela Huber said.

Teachers do not just experience stress due to their job, they also have experienced stress similar to the students of today back when they were in school.

“When I was in undergrad working on my senior thesis, I was beyond stressed with keeping up with work, student teaching, and the actual paper load,” English teacher Louise Haar-Chapman said. “I developed a stress reaction that prevented me from attending classes. I would get physically ill when I got on campus.

One particularly awful reaction was my hair falling out in chunks.”

While there are many different physical reactions to stress there are also different ways to positively deal with stress. Some routes to go about dealing with stress are meditation, sleep, listening to music, taking a walk, and talking about what is causing stress.

“I decided to talk to my advisor, and he recommended a few days off, and some stress management tools. Apparently, I was not the first undergrad to feel this way! Imagine, there were others who felt this way, and simply asking for help, helped! I managed the problem with coping mechanisms; meditation, journaling, and reading,” Haar-Chapman said.

Under pressure to perform Athletes are under constant pressure not only to perform to their own standards, but also to meet the standards of others Written by: Miranda Martin Students who play sports in high school can be hit in the face throughout their career by more than just an errant elbow or misguided soccer ball, they can also be hit with athletic pressure.

According to peaksports.com, pressure usually refers to the feelings of an athlete has about performing in a sporting situation. Pressure manifests itself physically (increased adrenaline, breathing, heart rate, etc), mentally (positive or negative thoughts about the event), and emotionally (positive feelings of anticipation, excitement or negative feelings of fear, anxiety).

According to a study on pressure and youth sports by yellowbrickprogram.com, 42% of people said that their coaches pressured them the most, followed by friends at 27% and their dad by 21%. Following up, 57% of 18-25 year olds stated that despite them wanting to quit, they were pressured into continuing their sport.

Being a student-athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities such as having to go to practices, attend games and on top of that, going to school with AP classes and loads of homework. If students have a job, they would have to go to work right after practice and probably have a closing shift.

Athletic pressure comes in place during games and outside of school.

The pressure to score a goal with 30 seconds left on the clock. The pressure to get a scholarship before you graduation. The pressure to finish first in an event. Athletic pressure is something student-athletes cannot escape.

Student-athletes, specifically juniors and seniors, are subjected to aiming for athletics scholarships. These athletic scholarships would pay for their expenses in college if they are able to be elected for them.

Senior varsity swimmer Alyssa Lane

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Swim coach Andrea Rivera addresses her team at the beginning of a meet. Athletes can put pressure on themselves to perform, in addition to pressure being pushed by coaches and parents. Photo courtesy: RHS Athletics

hopes to be able to achieve this goal in getting a scholarship. ¨I do plan on swimming in college and I am very nervous about not getting a chance to swim, so I do feel pressured to get scholarships. This makes me want to try my best so I can get them.̈ Lane said.

Unfortunately, other students who want to play sports and get scholarships in college cannot due to the college not having that certain sport. Rhema Briggs, a junior tumbler, has to come to these terms.

“I am not going to play with a team in college, mainly because they do not offer the events I compete in gymnastics,” Briggs said. “̈My opinion on getting a scholarship could change, but only if they offered trampoline in the near future.”

Besides scholarships, studentathletes face in-game pressure. This in-game pressure could be from others or themselves. Some athletes state that most of the in-game pressure comes from other people in which becomes a benefit. “̈I feel that pressure during games

and meets helps me to keep my eye on the prize. I used to think about what others would say to or about me before I competed, but I realized they only wanted to psych me out,” Briggs said. “Having people gunning for me keeps me challenged and keeps me consistent. It betters me in my talents.”

Other than athletes having external pressure, students would also face pressure from themselves. “̈As an athlete, I put pressure on myself because I want to swim in college. I don’t feel pressured by anyone else to succeed in swimming,” Lane said. “At meets, I’m really hard on myself so that makes me want to go faster and beat my opponent.”

Parker Kopplin, a junior varsity baseball player, puts internal pressure on himself too. ¨I pressure myself each day to work harder to get scholarships,¨ Kopplin said.

Athletic pressure is something that student-athletes cannot stand but cannot live without. In the end, it helps the student achieve their goals and perform better than ever before.

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The science behind anxiety An inside look at the different aspects of the brain and how each part can contribute to anxiety

Written By: Kayley Norman As people travel down the streams of life, there are rocks and bumps in the road that come in the form of anxiety-inducing scenarios.

For some, these scenarios never seem to end. For others, they experience anxiety based on circumstance.

Regardless of how people experience it, anxiety can be difficult to deal with and navigate.

“You could look at the genetic makeup and how your brain is wired, and it shows up even in families and siblings who have similar genetic makeup. People’s responses to similar stressers-- part of it is the cognitive brain versus the emotional brain,” counselor Shauna Cunningham said.

However, slowing down and really thinking about how the body and brain process anxiety can shine a new light on how people perceive anxiety and the mental effects it has on them.

First, when really taking a look at the effects of anxiety on the brain, it is

important to divide up the brain.

The brain is split up into two separate sides with two separate functions: the cognitive brain and the emotional brain. It is believed that what causes the feeling of anxiety is the cognitive brain’s inability to wrangle the emotional brain when it is reacting to anxiety-inducing stimuli.

Deeper within the emotional side of the brain lives the cerebrum. This is where the hub of anxiety activity is found.

The cerebrum section of the brain is responsible for initiation/coordination of movement, touch, vision, judgment, hearing, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, and learning.

Beneath the cerebrum is the brainstem. The brainstem is the network that controls the basic flow of signals from nerves to the brain.

To really find the main contributors, it is necessary to look at the area between these two parts of the brain at the limbic system.

“No one brain region drives anxiety on its own,” writes Levi Gayde for

BrainFacts.org. “Instead, interactions among many brain areas are all important for how we experience anxiety.”

The limbic system is responsible for human’s basic survival behaviors and emotional responses. Within this system are the amygdala and the hippocampus.

The amygdala is considered to be the “communications hub” for receiving and interpreting signals, while the hippocampus is a vital structure in forming long term memories and processing fear and threats.

It is within these four areas that most of the anxiety is created. Brain signals from these areas are created in reaction to anxiety-inducing stimuli.

These pieces of our brains work together to create a “fear network”.

“For students that we work with, in particular, even the exact same experience may trigger anxiety based on previous history. Brains react very differently,” Cunningham said.

Illustration by: Kayley Norman

One activity at a time Often overwhelmed by the amount of responsibilities over the course of a day, students try to work on time management Written by: Jessica Murillo In high school, it is normal for students to feel like they will never get anything done on time.

Students might not have time for friends, family, or themselves because they dedicate their time to work and school. In some cases, students find themselves overwhelmed and incapable of completing their daily agenda.

Those who play a sport may have a harder time due to their schedules and long tournaments that might be interfering.

A number of students at Ritenour High School do not come from a two income household, or a high income family, so these students often work to support their family. Others work for their own money to use on their personal wants and needs.

“I work because I want to be able to afford the things I want without having to ask my parents for money,” junior Joshua McClelland said.

Students who have the time and support from family have a choice to work or not. Having the choice to work while maintaining a busy school or sport schedule is a huge advantage to an average teenage life. Time is the biggest kryptonite to any high school student. For example, if a student works late hours during the school week, they might become exhausted, behind on work, or even perform poorly in a game or practice.

“After I get off work I usually have trouble sleeping, so most nights I do not go to sleep until around one,” senior Aleksandra Van Hoy said.

Seniors have been found to have the worst sleep schedule and time management, due to their part time or full time job.

“All other students, however, experienced consistently negative outcomes from working — even those who worked to help their families pay rent,” educational research Newsletter

& Webinars online article said.

Stabilizing a schedule that fits for each individual student’s mindset is key in high school. Making sure that everything that is done in school will be paid off in the future is a big eye opener to students.

“I 100% believe working will be worth it. Getting my CCNA through my program at North Tech, I will be able to live the way I want to live, and be able to afford the things that I want,” McClelland said.

A lot of students at Ritenour are confident that their plans now will benefit them in the long run.

Managing time can be a hassle, but figuring out a plan for just one week can drastically change stress and anxiety levels, mindset, and the future.

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Here are some helpful tips for managing time.

1. Plan ahead- With a planner or calendar on your phone, write down homework assignments, due dates, and work times.

2. Say no!- If you know you have a project to work on, or you have a day off for once, use the time for yourself.

3. Setting goals- start with short term goals (daily goals) then eventually go with long term goals.

4. Know what’s important- Do not allow yourself to get distracted by unimportant details of the task at hand.

Junior Guadalupe Rico juggles school, work, and athletics on a daily basis. Photo manipulation: Ron Steinschriber

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Parental expectations lead to tough realities Parents and their children do not always agree on responsibilities

Written By: Kristyn Bills Students and children are familiar with the responsibilities parents put on them from day to day, whether it be responsibilities at home, at school, or any other place in the children’s lives; it is often that parents are expectant of them and their abilities.

But why do parents even put these daily pressures on their children, and how do they know the pressures they put on them are beneficial for their growth and individuality?

“The only pressure put on my kids is to work hard,” science teacher and Ritenour parent Robert Weissler said.

“Mr. Nolen said it best, ‘work hard and be nice.’ If everyone lived that way, the world would be a better place.

I believe my kids will have better opportunities in life if they follow that mantra.“ When looking at the point of view of the parent and teacher, it allows the perspective on why they do what they do. In some cases, parents do care for and only want the best for their children. Even though these pressures may be stressful for them at times, it is usually in the child’s best interest.

However, there is a thin line between the pressures being for their children’s best interest and for the sake of having control. It is only healthy that parents are not excessively pressuring their kids and only trying to look out for and support them.

One student asked to remain anonymous, but admitted that some of the pressures her parents put on her are necessary.

“In a way, I feel that my mom usually wants me to do my best but it gets overbearing at times. On a day-to-day basis, I am expected to attend school and focus on my extracurriculars, then I must get home to clean and babysit. On top of those, I am expected to do my homework and get exceptional grades,” the

student explained while counting her experiences on her finger. “I must also graduate and attend a great college and make a good amount of money. I know she wants me to succeed in life, but I feel that there is little breathing room for me to live in my youth.”

This student’s story is a reality for students who often feel stressed under the heavy expectations of their parents. It may be needed that parents are less expectant and more supportive, especially because Students have reported feeling pushed into extra responsiblities by high school students their families, which some think are unfair expectations. Photo are going to become manipulation: Ron Steinschriber, Art by: Abby Richardson young adults. It is another teacher at home, it can be important for these students that they beneficial to have someone who are expressive in their youth and what understands what goes on at school to they want to do and have the support know how to cater to their own child’s needed to become a successful and curricular needs. independent adult.

Whether or not the teacher, Another student even expressed student, or parent thinks that these his exasperation with the countless pressures are helpful, there needs responsibilities and how parental to be a reasonable balance between pressures have affected him as a freedom and responsibility. student and person, especially since Parents and children must his parent is a teacher at the high compromise with each other on what school. they think is best for them and their “Mostly just being responsible and relationship. If parents can allow their mature, and making wise decisions. kids to have a few freedoms, especially Of course chores and doing my freedom of choice, they will be able homework is a part of the daily routine to parent without being suffocating. too.” sophomore Ben Weissler said.

If the kids were to let the parents “My dad is a teacher, so usually it is support and guide them through pressuring my teachers to be able what they think will keep them safe, to communicate about what I do at happy, and successful too, then it school. I think [they] are really helpful would cause less stress for the parents. to me as a student.”

Healthy parental pressure is about Though it may be tough to have having the best of both worlds.

Friends or foes?

Students face a daily challenge of dealing with negative peer pressure and trying to embrace positive peer pressure Written by: Lizbeth Hernandez Peer pressure has had a negative connotation for its definition ever since it was coined.

Students at Ritenour have experienced various forms of peer pressure, but knowing what is positive and negative peer pressure, as well as healthy pressure, is extremely important to navigate through the day.

While students go through the day experiencing forms of both positive and negative peer pressure, many of them do not reflect on each experience as it happens and have a low awareness of the role that peer pressure plays in their lives

Peer Pressure in classrooms Senior Alissa Smith said that she often feels pressure to help her fellow students who are struggling. She is aware of the pressure she has to share her answers since she is known as being at the top of her class.

“I feel a lot of pressure to give people answers during class. I feel like in school you have a lot of pressure to help your friends out,” Smith said.

She experienced negative peer pressure as well as pressure in her classroom depending on who is in her class.

Class ranking system Recently in the Ritenour District, they have shifted away from the class ranking system and have moved forward towards the Latin honors system. This means that after this year, there will no longer be a valedictorian and salutatorian, but that students will be recognized in different high achieving categories.

The idea of this shift was to take pressure off of the students, especially those at the top of their class. While more schools are moving away from the ranking system and shifting

towards the Latin honors, students have mixed opinions on the shift.

“I feel like people work hard to get the class rank and they should get what they deserve,” junior Ashley Bryant said.

On the contrary, junior Darian Dickerson said that it could take needed strain off students who are pushing themselves to the point of negative reactions.

“This gets rid of labels and the feeling of being the best. I feel like pressure can occur depending on the person and how who the student is and how much they care about their grades,” Dickerson said.

Positive and negative pressure Another less talked about form of pressure in the everyday life of a teenager is positive and negative

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pressure from peers. Most people relate peer pressure to being negative since people are taught to be able to say no. Yet, most students have been able to experience positive pressure from their peers.

Junior Kaila Anderson explained a recent encounter with positive peer pressure.

“During my soccer game, I was not aware I was offsides and my teammates would yell I was offsides. It really helped us during the game.”

Although Anderson was being pressured by her team to not make the mistake of being offsides, it ended up benefiting her as she is learning to become a better soccer player.

Everyday peer pressure is experienced in various ways. People encounter it in their everyday lives and only sometimes realizing the pressure being given by their peers.

How stressed out are you? For each “yes”, give yourself one point, then add your total and compare it to the chart on the right.

1. Do you bite your nails?

2. Are you in any AP classes?

3. Do you have a job?

4. Are you responsible for your siblings?

5. Do you never have free time?

6. Are you college-bound?

7. Do you have divorced/separated parents?

8. Are you competitive?

9. Do you have a needy pet?

10. Are you a senior?

11. Are you stressed that the pattern was messed up?

12. Are you going to enlist?

13. Do you have parents who have picked your future?

14. Are you shaking right now?

15. Do you need caffeine to survive?

16. Are you ready to graduate?

17. Do you have sweaty palms?

18. Are you first-gen?

19. Do you have a needy significant other?

20. Are you discriminated against on a regular basis?

21. Do you suffer discrimination based on your gender?

22. Are you a minority?

23. Do you have depression?

24. Are you crying right now?

25. Do you have a full schedule?

SCORING YOURSELF 0-5 points - You are zen, keep up the good work.

6-10 points - You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you are handling it fairly well.

11-15 points - You are pretty stressed, try practicing mindfulness or cultivating other healthy habits.

16+ points - You deal with a lot of stress, you might want to seek out help from a trusted adult.

STEPS FOR MANAGING STRESS AND ANXIETY

Exercise daily Find a sport or activity that helps you relieve stress

Get enough sleep When stressed, your body needs additional rest

Talk to someone Talk to friends, family, a counselor, or anyone you trust

Stay positive Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positives Special Edition Editor - Andrea Rojo

Eat well balanced meals Don't skip meals, keep healthy snacks on hand

Welcome humor A good laugh goes a long way

Get involved Volunteer, or find other ways to be active

Do your best Be proud of however close you get to perfection, but make your goals realistic Tips taken from adaa.org, Anxiety and Depression Association of America