According to a Stanford researcher, overworking students and assigning too heavy of a workload can cause excessive amounts of stress and anxiety.
Though many teachers believe homework and classwork benefit students by reinforcing the lessons being taught, many Heritage students share that they feel swamped. “I often go home tired from the day and groan at the fact that I have multiple assignments due in most of my classes, both as homework and during class time. I’ve had the same problem every year of high school and it makes it hard to spend time with my family or relax when I’m home,” senior Kevin Moya said.
According to the University of North Carolina (UNC), breaks can actually increase productivity as the brain uses energy, which needs to be replenished after long periods of use.
Breaks are an important part of reducing stress and burnout, and with the structure of classes at Heritage, getting a break throughout the day is almost impossible. Students have to make it though five classes before a break for lunch and not every student has an independent period.
In order for a break to be effective, the brain must disconnect and distance itself from work-related thoughts, according to UNC. Going class-to-class with minimal breaks limits mental distance from work, as students such as Moya report that they spend their time between classes worrying about a test, quiz or work in the next. In turn, this increases stress or can cause what is known as an “ineffective” break. According to the same study by UNC, an ineffective break is characterized by a break where the brain does not get to regain its energy. Many factors can cause an ineffective break, one of which is phones.
Walking class-to-class, many students become preoccupied with their phones. I, too, am guilty of this. An ineffective break can actually increase stress and overload the prefrontal cortex and cause negative emotions, according to UNC.
The solution to this is an increase in breaks throughout the school day. Teachers can take just five minutes away from iPads and lessons to give students a break and help them increase their focus and concentration throughout the day. According to Understood, brain breaks do not have to be long, as a simple one to five minutes of breathing exercises is enough to increase student focus and attention. PubMed Central research shows that student attention can increase by 20% following a short, structured break.
Another solution is changing the structure of the school week. Many researchers, including a study done by the University of Cambridge, found that a four-day work week was beneficial to reduce stress and burnout for workers in the UK. According to the same study, 71% of employees reported feeling less burned out using a four day work week.
This shorter school week can be achieved in school by shortening the length of summer break. Research by NWEA shows that students often lose around three months worth of what they learn during the year over long breaks, such as summer. Shortening summer break not only is beneficial to reduce stress during the school year with shorter weeks, but can also help students retain what they learned from the previous school year.
Senior Mila Bond works on a golf cart decorating contest during lunch break. Disconnecting to allow the brain to take a break can benefit students and staff alike. (Photo/Jaiden Bomar)
