Introduction
Psychological well-being in the educational environment plays a massive role in the development of the student’s personality. Studying at school is full of emotions, experiences, and feelings that affect the success of educational activities. Fear of failure and defeat generate negative emotions and unwillingness to perform difficult training tasks. Emotional distress leads to the formation of unstable self-esteem and manifests itself in the occurrence of anxiety. Stress has a devastating effect on health, learning ability, and social adaptation.
The Effect of Stress
It is essential to understand that the ability to cope with difficulties is a necessary stage of a child’s full development. Stress becomes toxic for a child if negative emotions have to be experienced for a long time without receiving adequate support from adults (Murgia, 2015). This includes situations of physical and psychological violence or indifference on the part of adults. The experience of toxic stress in the early years of life also negatively affects school performance and the physical development of children (Vogel & Schwabe, 2016). Toxic stress does not prepare children for the real world, and it undermines their ability to maintain a stable state to realize their own capabilities (Johnson & Blum, 2012). Chronic stress causes the most significant harm to mental and physical health, leading to sleep problems, overeating, procrastination, and unwillingness to take care of themselves.
Teachers need to take this aspect into account when creating a curriculum. The level of the hormones dopamine, as well as norepinephrine and serotonin, decreases, and as a result, toxic stress can turn into depression (Brozena, 2022). Studies confirm that the prolonged presence of a child in a stressful situation negatively affects the development of all organ systems, worsens cognitive abilities, and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood (Johnson & Blum, 2012). Children who have experienced toxic stress perform worse at school, are more likely to have problems with alcohol, adapt worse to society, receive higher education less often, and are less successful in adulthood (Brozena, 2022). Therefore, it is necessary to take into account this aspect in order to overcome the negative impact.
The early years of life are the period of formation of neural connections of the brain. Thus, if obstacles arise at this stage – for example, in the form of stress – then the connections will remain weak throughout life. Therefore, teachers should correctly assess the condition of children since direct support plays a crucial role in providing psychological protection for students (Brozena, 2022). Toxic stress can manifest itself in behavior in a variety of ways, masquerading as other problems (Johnson & Blum, 2012). The main signs of school anxiety are passivity in the classroom, embarrassment when answering, and confusion at the slightest remark from the teacher. The correctional and developmental stage involves work in several directions – this is the psychological education of teachers and parents of students on the factors of stress and measures aimed at preventing its occurrence (Harvard University, n.d.). In preventing and correcting children’s anxiety, a complex impact on the child, that is, the interaction of parents and teachers plays an essential role. Under favorable conditions and psychological support from the social environment, children will experience emotional comfort.
Conclusion
Toxic stress occurs in a situation of exceptionally strong emotions or when an unpleasant situation repeats day after day. If a student experiences negative emotions often and for a long time, it means that stress has acquired a chronic character. The main task of adults is to help children get out of a state of stress. Teachers should build their relationships with children in such a way that the acquisition of knowledge does not become an obstacle to the student’s full-fledged personality formation. Due to the physiology and social circumstances of their lives, teenagers constantly experience increased emotional stress, but at the same time, they may learn to cope with stressful situations and their own stress.
References
Brozena, C. (2022). How educators can address childhood adversity and toxic stress. Thriving Schools. Web.
Harvard University. (n.d.). What are ACEs? And how do they relate to toxic stress? Center on the Developing Child. Web.
Johnson, S. B., & Blum, R. W. (2012). Stress and the brain: How experiences and exposures across the life span shape health, development, and learning in adolescence.Journal of Adolescent Health, 51(2), 1–2. Web.
Murgia, M. [TED-E. (2015). How stress affects your brain[Video]. YouTube. Web.
Vogel, S., & Schwabe, L. (2016). Learning and memory under stress: Implications for the classroom.Science of Learning, 1(1), 1–10. Web.