Healthy + Happy #28: Youth and Stress
Stress is normal — it’s how our bodies respond to help us navigate challenging situations — but not all responses to stress are helpful.
Positive Stress Response is short-lived, mild and a normal part of healthy childhood development, often motivating us to meet challenges (think: team tryouts or working up the courage to talk to a crush).
Tolerable Stress Response is more intense and serious (in response to more severe difficulties like the loss of a loved one or natural disaster), but can be helpful if it’s time-limited and tempered by emotional support from friends/family.
Toxic Stress Response can occur when a child experiences prolonged or unresolved emotional injury (abuse, exposure to violence, economic hardship, etc.) without adequate support or resolution.
Our context.
Given our current state of collective trauma (think: pandemic, climate change, gun violence, etc.), our kids are at risk of toxic stress that can lead to potentially long-term consequences. Gun violence, in particular, as the number one cause of death for U.S. children, makes kids feel the world is an unpredictable and dangerous place. The persistence of gun violence is affecting the health and happiness of our youth. Important note: toxic stress affects some more than others with kids of color suffering most.
Physical and Mental Health. Toxic stress can heighten kids’ susceptibility to anxiety, depression, infections and illness, which can, in turn, increase the possibility of developing chronic disease (think: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) later in life.
Developmental Impacts. Toxic stress can impact learning, memory and behavior and can prevent the formation of healthy relationships and social/emotional skills.
Life and Learning Disruption. Stress can make it difficult for children to sleep, leading to problems with fatigue and irritability. Worried students focus more energy on emotions rather than on executive functions like learning.
How we can help our kids.
Create a supportive environment for kids (and their friends). Powerful emotions require a steady adult presence and open dialogue. Experts say it works.
Encourage healthy habits.
Sleep. Bodies and brains rest/repair during sleep, which helps reduce stress levels (note: different ages require different amounts of sleep).
Exercise. Physical exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural stress fighters (think: team sports, bike ride, walking, etc.).
Nutrition. Studies show that eating whole foods is associated with lower depression, anxiety and stress. Family meals can also serve as a de-stressor for kids and parents alike.
Mindfulness. Deep breathing, meditation and yoga are techniques that can help children reduce stress. Nature helps, too.
Support programs dedicated reducing stress in our kids: Chicago Safe Passage, Becoming a Man, Child Mind Institute and our grantee Girls on the Run.
In the News
School food round-up.
ScratchWorks is a collective of school food professionals and non-profit organizations committed to supporting school districts in cooking school meals from scratch using whole, fresh ingredients that provide students with the nutrition they need for their educational success, health and wellbeing. This week, over 100 school nutrition professionals and school food leaders met for collaboration and education, with sessions led by renown school food operation leaders. This was the first national gathering focused solely on scratch cooking in schools. Participants also got a chance to hear from James Beard Award-winning TV personality and chef Andrew Zimmern and USDA Food & Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long. The Life Time Foundation is a proud founding member and funder of ScratchWorks.
Last year, 28 civil rights and health care groups requested that the USDA address “dietary racism” in national school lunch programs. As a result, the U.S. House recently introduced the Addressing Digestive Distress in Stomachs of Our Youth Act to help kids easily access milk alternatives.
Parents are dissatisfied with K-12 customer service. We know student satisfaction increases when students feel heard. Communication best practices can help.
April is National Gardening Month.
The benefits of gardening go far beyond beautification — it’s good for our kids’ mental and physical health. Interesting fact: bacteria in soil may have a similar effect on our brains to antidepressants.
One teacher helps her kids connect their senses to their emotions in the classroom through a social-emotional herb garden.
Beyond good smells, herbs can also have culinary and medicinal benefits. One idea? Themed gardens (think: pizza, salad bar, tea, aromatherapy, etc.).
If you need help starting a garden, we love this step-by-step guide from Life Kit.
Events, Happenings and Opportunities
Food and Nutrition Service and Action for Healthy Kids have worked together to offer competitive grants (up to $150,000) for small and/or rural School Food Authorities to support their efforts to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals and meet the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards criteria. The deadline for submitting a grant application is 5 p.m. EST on May 26. Apply today.
Roseville (Minn.) Area Schools have a variety of openings. Learn more.
On May 17-18, the Aspen Institute is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Project Play at the Project Play Summit 2023. Registration now open.