USA Today just released an article identifying what 22,000 high school students consistently report about how they feel when they are in school- "Tired, stressed and bored."
"It's hard to concentrate and it's hard to do well in school if your brain is constantly having to respond to stress," said Marc Brackett, a researcher in the Yale University Department of Psychology and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
The article reports about the one question survey "How do you currently feel in school?"
Three blank spaces followed, with room for any answers they felt were appropriate.
Eight of the top 10 responses were negative.
"Tired" was most often invoked — 39% of students wrote that.
"Stressed" came in second, at 29%. "Bored" was third, at 26%.
Since school is a the natural precursor to the work world, and work is already identified in other research as the #1 reason for individual stress, my question is- are YOU TSB?
Tired? Most Americans don't get the recommended 7-8 hours a night of restful sleep. With our hectic schedule, digital distractions and excessive amounts of light in most bedrooms (Always on TV, Router, Tablet, phone, etc have all been proven to disrupt regular melatonin creation that help us rest peacefully), it's no wonder you might depend on caffeine, chocolate and junk food to get through the day.
Stressed? Oh Yeah! Those stress hormones are firing daily, never getting a break! Your body is under chronic stressors- missed meetings, long commutes, relationship issues, financial struggles, health problems, too much to do and too little time--it's all one big stress mess!
Bored? Engagement in the workplace is at an all time low. Folks sleep walk through their work days. Absenteeism is rampant (being "present" in body only, with very little measureable productive output) and sick time is often used as "mental health" days. When's the last time you called in sick just to get a break?
TSB can be helped by EXERCISE. Moving your body in ways that you find pleasurable contributes to better sleep, less stress and that leads to a more engaged individual
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Not only should school administrators take note of these new findings, but leaders in organizations can learn from the emotional distress young people are experiencing. These young adults will be joining their ranks soon.