Teenagers Feel Pressure Not to See Friends and Family
If you spend most of your time studying, you’re not alone. A staggering 57% of 15-17-year-olds feel compelled to prioritize schoolwork above all else. Surprisingly, only 39% believe that happiness is more important than achieving good grades.
Would you sacrifice friendships, family time, hobbies, and sleep to get the right results? More than three-quarters of 15-17-year-olds do. That’s a lot of pressure. At Vinspired, we believe that fun and rest are as important as qualifications. Grades can open doors, but your passions help you choose which doors to open.
A lot of this pressure comes from home. Half of British parents believe school or college work should come first. Yet, amazingly, just over one in ten parents think hobbies or interests are important.
Interestingly, according to a survey of 100 senior business leaders, teens are still not prepared for work. Sixty-seven of them said young people lack vital skills like time management and teamwork. In fact, their top piece of advice was to develop skills outside of education. Forty-two percent emphasized the importance of achieving a healthy work/life balance.
Teenagers like Claudia share their struggles: “During exams, I go into study mode and that’s all I focus on – it can get quite stressful at times. It also means that my social life and hobbies, including music and going to gigs, completely take a back seat.”
All this work is affecting mental health. A Department for Education (DFE) paper indicates that mental well-being is worse than it was ten years ago. The signals are clear: it’s time to take a break. Professor Tanya Byron emphasizes, “We cannot allow our children and young people to prioritize their IQ over their EQ (Emotional Intelligence). Building EQ is fundamental for emotional psychological well-being.”
Organizations like The School of Life promote emotional intelligence. As they say in their video, it’s okay to “opt for imperfect variety over flawless focus.”
More than half of 15-17-year-olds don’t feel they have a healthy balance. Unfortunately, more than a third of parents don’t know how to help.
So what’s the solution? Luckily, the National Citizen Service (NCS) has created an incredible guide on achieving a good work/life balance. It includes tips from business leaders, NCS graduates, and psychological experts.
Read our blog on improving your mental health and find a volunteering opportunity near you. Volunteering not only helps you develop teamwork and time management skills, but it also offers a much-needed break from studying. Go on, you deserve it.