Teach English in Menhe Zhen - Lianyungang Shi

Stress is a normal part of everyone's life. It is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response and can be caused by any type of physical or emotional stimulus or situation. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Even positive life changes such as a promotion, or the birth of a child can produce stress. Often, people speak of different types of stress such as work stress, relationship stress, or parenting stress. In this case, we will examine the ESL student's stress and ways to overcome any stressful situation a student might have. There are many factors that can cause an ESL student stress. Upcoming tests and heavy homework can cause a lot of stress for the students. The students may worry about getting a high grade and in the case of multiple tests, the students might worry about their study time. Having poor organization skills will further increase the stress level of the students since they won't have enough time to study or prepare for a test. Their free time also plays a huge role in the mentality of the students. Students with busy schedules can quickly become overwhelmed because they are left with no free time to relax. Another factor that can cause stress is the sleeping schedule of the students. Not getting enough sleep makes it difficult for students to concentrate and learn effectively. In fact, studies have shown that students who don’t get the required 8-10 hours of sleep each night are more likely to feel stressed than students who do. Class participation can be terrifying for some students. If the students don't feel confident about their skills while participating in a classroom activity in front of their classmates it will make them feel much more stressed and fearful for failure, leading to an even increased stress level. Transitioning to a new environment can also be stressful for the students. New classes, new teachers, and new routines are all factors of change. When changes to the usual routine start to happen, people may find it more difficult to manage their time, leading to more stress. A lack of support from parents or teachers can also add a lot of stress to students. They may feel that a lot is expected of them, but that they don’t have a strong enough support system (whether emotional or practical) to achieve their goals. As we can see there are many factors that can cause or increase the stress level of the students but is there a way to relieve some if not all of it? Research has shown that positive thinking may improve physical well-being, produce lower feelings of depression and produce lower levels of distress. Having a stress "outlet" will also help with diminishing the stress levels of the students. This could be a social activity like going out or participating in intramural sports, finding a hobby or joining a social club. Having a good sleep schedule is another way of relieving stress. Some people are even engaging in relaxation techniques to help them relieve stress. This can include things like slowly counting to ten, meditation, thinking positive thoughts, visualization or playing with a stress ball. Lastly, the one I believe is the most important way of relieving stress, is talking to someone. Sometimes just talking about what’s stressful or having someone listen to your problems can drastically reduce stress levels while also offering a solution to the "problem" that brought stress in the first place. All of the above are applicable not only for the ESL students but also for the general population. In conclusion, stress can be created by any situation, either personal or professional. It is a common aspect of life that we all have. As teachers, we must understand when the students are stressed and directly or indirectly try to help them. Knowing what causes stress, how to handle it, and passing down that knowledge to the students is one of the duties a teacher has.