Stress is internal pain from external events
” If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment”
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Let's support Year 11 and Year 12 students and their parents overcome end of year anxiety and distress
What happens when the young adult’s self regulation skills are not adequate to handle their current stress levels? When the smallest item or situation causes an emotional outburst which leaves everyone exhausted? When you can see they are not coping and are starting to withdraw- usually in unhelpful ways. These actions are called displacement activities and range from cleaning out their cupboard, to taking rest breaks every 10 minutes throughout the day, to trying drugs and alcohol.
They move from being motivated and under pressure into the danger zone where their performance starts to stall and then drop. The more pressured they feel, the more their study goals etc go undone, and ultimately they become clinically distressed. At this point they become dysfunctional emotionally, cognitively and even physically.
The biggest concern is not only will this response impact on their exam results. It also sets the pattern for how they will respond to high levels of pressure in their future.
Research shows teenagers who have high anxiety and DO NOT learn the appropriate skills to self manage it, stand an 80% of experiencing depression in their 30’s.
When the pressure to perform is too high
It does not matter how many times we may have said
- “VCE / IB is not the end of the world”;
- “It is only a step in your journey to a career”
- “It’ll be fine”…
What our Year 12 hears and feels is what matters to them, and this becomes the biggest influence on how they respond to anything and everything.
Our role as Parents and Teachers for the next 10+ weeks is to be the steady guiding presence which enables the young adult to feel supported whilst they practice their self regulation skills.
Sometimes those self regulation skills are enough to keep them focused, energised and motivated to get through the pre-exam and exam time well and emotionally intact. An occasional outburst goes with the situation, and in fact may even be expected. In many instances it may still be healthy.
How can we help?
With 10 weeks or less to go before the VCE or IB exams begin, it may seem as if starting psychotherapy now could be too late. I believe it is never too late, but I do understand the time pressures for now.
There is always enough time to learn again how to self manage anxiety and distress.
Teen Anxiety Relief Package
These 3 short, laser sharp, and focused sessions aim to:
- get the student back on track for their studies and exams
- reduce very high anxiety levels
- Develop a personalised Anxiety Reduction
Plan - improve their emotional self regulation skills
- acknowledge current coping skills
- Develop more effective coping skills
- learn how to put things into perspective
- increase their confidence to manage their current stresses.
Each student should:
- have 4 hours over 3 sessions, one on one
- Sessions may be Face to Face (in Ringwood) or Online to suit
- have Session 1 and 2, 1 (one) week apart, session 3 within 2 – 3 weeks
- receive their own personalised Anxiety Relief Plan
- Learn emotional regulation tips which work for them right now
- Integrate their study plan and exams preparation with their Anxiety Relief Plan
This Teen Anxiety Relief Package is based on well researched anxiety management techniques which are shown to deliver results within 3 sessions.
It has been designed specifically for highly anxious students who still have to deliver and perform within a tight time frame
After the initial assessment, should further therapy or interventions be deemed necessary, this is outside the scope of this offer and will be discussed with the young adult and their parents.
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