Managing stress and anxiety

This blog post is part of a series of #WellnessWednesday tips. This week, the Landon wellness team shares that Upper School families and faculty explored how to manage stress and anxiety by viewing and discussing, Angst, a documentary.

Stress is a part of life.  As we adapt to new routines, manage a variety of different responsibilities, and try and take care of ourselves and others, it can greatly increase our stress level.  In moderation, stress is actually beneficial as it helps us to be motivated and focus on the task at hand.  When stress goes unchecked or we don’t have healthy ways of coping however it can lead to a variety of negative health issues.   

 

Stress and Performance

To raise awareness about mental health and deepen our community’s understanding of stress and anxiety, the Upper School watched the movie Angst.  This documentary shares stories of kids and teens whose lives have been impacted by anxiety and ways in which they have developed strategies to better cope.  In addition, the film interviewed mental health experts who explain the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects.  After viewing the movie, faculty then met with small groups of boys, by grade level, to get their reaction, discuss insights, and talk about how we can better care for ourselves and support others.  The primary goal of viewing this documentary and the breakout groups was to start a conversation and raise awareness. 

Hopefully, the Upper School boys have continuing the dialogue at home.  As parents, these times can be especially challenging.  The following article looks at how the role of parenting has changed during the pandemic and how many parents have been impacted: Coronavirus and Political Uncertainty Has American Parents Struggling With Stress and Frustration (Fatherly).