As a kid, going to school can be a fun and exciting experience. And why wouldn’t it be? You get to run around outside, play with your friends, and learn a lot of cool new things – it’s every kid’s dream. But then you get older, and you’re in middle school, high school, or college, and things start to get more challenging.
You’re faced with many new and unfamiliar obstacles in your academic and personal life, and sometimes they can take a toll on your health, both mentally and physically. This can make going to school and learning a negative experience, which might lead to poor overall performance.
The good news is that we can do a better job in helping students as they go through school if we recognize and tackle these influences. That’s why this article will discuss the most common factors that affect students’ health and what can be done to help them thrive and reach their full potential. So, let’s dive right in.
- Bullying
Bullying is a form of harassment that’s unfortunately so common in school-going kids. It can negatively affect everyone involved, whether it’s those who are bullied, the ones who do the bullying, or even those who see it happening. Certain cliques at school may be responsible for a lot of this taking place.
Students linked to school bullying are more likely to face mental health problems and social isolation and may resort to substance abuse. That’s why if students start having problems with cliques and bullying at school, they must reach out and get help from professionals.
It’s also important to have teachers and other adults at school keep an eye out for and report harmful behavior to protect students from falling victim. With safety measures like this in place, students will be safer and thrive.
- Academic Pressure
When you’re at school, academic pressure feels like a heavy weight on your shoulders that seems to keep piling on. From assignment deadlines to final exams, it just seems to never end. The pressure doesn’t just come from school, though. It also comes from home, where parents have certain expectations and pressure their children to meet them.
The constant pressure to do well might trigger feelings of anxiety and stress, which may develop into serious mental health disorders. And not only that, but other aspects of the student’s life may be affected as well. For example, they might lose sleep over this academic pressure, leading to fatigue and exhaustion. Some may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as stress eating, and if it goes out of control, it can affect the health of the student.
Encouraging parents, teachers, and students themselves to set realistic expectations can help relieve some of the academic pressure.
- Peer Pressure
Besides academic pressure, there’s a different kind of pressure students face at school: peer pressure. Peer pressure can come in many forms – it may be spoken, unspoken, direct, or indirect. Sometimes it may be positive, but in most cases, it tends to be negative.
Preteens and teens are the most at risk for succumbing to peer pressure. It’s the age when kids begin experimenting with alcohol, smoking, sexual behavior, and other dangerous activity. When kids start feeling pressure to engage in these activities at this age, they expose themselves to serious health risks that they aren’t even aware of, like addictions or infections.
This is where the role of teachers and parents comes in. It’s their job to educate these young students about the risks of such habits and create a safe space to discuss these topics.
- Screen Time and Technology
The world today greatly benefits from technology. So many things have become easier and more accessible because of it. Students’ education can benefit from their devices with instant access to all kinds of information. But the problem arises when screen time is used in excess, especially for recreational purposes.
If we talk about how the health of students can be affected by screen time, many things come to play. It may cause eye strain and sleep disturbances and lead to sedentary behavior – all of which have negative health consequences. But besides that, unrestricted and unlimited access to the internet is also dangerous for young minds, and exposure to certain content may be damaging.
- Sleep Patterns
One of the most important things for the overall well-being of students is getting a good amount of sleep. Sleep plays an important role in your cognitive function, attention span, mood, and general behavior. Without sleep, all these things suffer, along with academic performance and overall health.
For young adults, 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night are recommended, but it’s the quality of sleep that matters most. If they’re having trouble sleeping, the key is to figure out why. Students these days are constantly facing massive amounts of pressure, and many have mental health issues that might disturb their sleeping patterns. It’s important to address these problems and adopt a healthy sleeping schedule to positively impact their overall health.
- Diet and Nutrition
Students, especially college students who live away from home, resort to unhealthy eating habits that can affect their health. With a busy school life, students are juggling a lot – classes, assignments, a social life, and at times, even a part-time job. Healthy meals aren’t always available to them, and cooking takes too much time. Skipping meals or relying on junk food becomes the norm.
A lack of a healthy and nutritious diet can result in serious deficiencies and other problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes. Students must learn about the health risks associated with poor diet and should be offered healthier alternatives on campus. Getting proper nutrition can improve their health while also enhancing their performance at school.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the factors influencing students’ health are diverse and interconnected. Even the most brilliant of students might be suffering from health problems we can’t see. That’s why it’s important to keep their physical, mental, and emotional states in check.
By addressing the above concerns and taking initiatives to support the health and wellness of students, we not only improve their performance in school but also contribute to their future success and happiness and improve society as a whole.