Spill the Tea: The Secrets of High Achieving Teens

Do you play a sport at the club level? Play an instrument in a youth orchestra? Is your schedule filled with AP, or honors, or IB level classes, or are you just surrounded by people doing all of this? Maybe you’re a parent of one of these kids? If so, then stick with us, because in today’s episode we are going to tackle the topic of teen stress within high pressure environments. We are going to hear straight from teens what is really at the heart of their stress, not what we think it might be. Then we will hear from an expert clinical phycologist who will bring this all together and give us some tips and tricks that anyone can use to keep our emotions from pulling us under. And for our parents listening, we have some specific tips for you. Let’s start at the beginning.

Do you play a sport at the club level? Play an instrument in a youth orchestra? Is your schedule filled with AP, or honors, or IB level classes, or are you just surrounded by people doing all of this? Maybe you’re a parent of one of these kids? If so, then stick with us, because in today’s episode we are going to tackle the topic of teen stress within high pressure environments. We are going to hear straight from teens what is really at the heart of their stress, not what we think it might be. Then we will hear from an expert clinical psycologist who will bring this all together and give us some tips and tricks that anyone can use to keep our emotions from pulling us under. And for our parents listening, we have some specific tips for you.

Expert: Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza of Mazza Consulting, Mazzaconsulting.com

Episode Copyright 09/12/2024

References

1. Front. Psychol., 22 July 2015 A multi-method exploratory study of stress, coping, and substance use among high school youth in private schools

2. Trauma and pressure to excel. Inspiring and Powering the Future: A New View of Adolescence July 2018

3. J Youth Adoles 2017 May;46(5):1057-1075. When Mothers and Fathers Are Seen as Disproportionately Valuing Achievements: Implications for Adjustment Among Upper Middle Class Youth

4. ChallengeSuccess.org. Accessed July 2024

https://challengesuccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Challenge-Success-2024-Student-Voice-Report.pdf

5. Luthar, S. S., Kumar, N. L., & Zillmer, N. (2020). High-achieving schools connote risks for adolescents: Problems documented, processes implicated, and directions for interventions. American Psychologist, 75(7), 983–995.

6. Mental Health, suicidality, and connectedness among High school Students. Adolescent Behaviors and experiences survey, United States, January-June 2021. Supplements April 1, 2022 71(3); 16-21