The Impact of Worry, Sadness & Perfectionism on School Performance

Ina Nyko, School PsychologistEnloe & Broughton High School

Presentation Overview

▪ What Is the difference between Worry, Sadness, and Perfectionism

▪ What is “Perception of threat?”

▪ What can be done to address behaviors that impact school performance

▪ Resources for parents & teens

▪ CAUTION: There is a difference between worry, sadness, perfectionism and psychiatric conditions such as Anxiety & Depression

Reframe - Situations That Are Not As Successful as One Would Like

Worry / Anxiety and perfectionism

▪ All can be protective and essential behaviors for survival. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Perfectionism is a trait, whereby a person refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.

▪ Either can become problematic when the behaviors associated with this begin to negatively affect an individual to a marked degree, which interferes with someone’s ability to fully enjoy their teenage life. Most people consider either to be a problem when it causes significant distress or interference for the teen or the family.

Anxiety: Reactions to the Perception of threat

▪ In prehistoric times, humans faced challenges different from those they face today. When confronted with a threat such as a lion, the brain would send the signal, “Threat!” and the body would respond by shooting hormones, such as adrenaline, into the bloodstream at lightning speed. That made the body immediately stronger and faster so the human could either fight or run away very fast (flight). When humans either fought or ran away, the physical exertion would disperse the hormones, and the body chemistry would quickly return to normal.

Examples then and now

▪ In prehistoric times, a human might be confronted by a saber tooth tiger. The brain would send the signal, “Threat!” That made the body immediately stronger and faster so the human could either fight or run away very fast (flight).

▪ Today, a person may become anxious when they look at the history test their teacher has just handed out and realize they don’t know any of the answers.

▪ Our brain acknowledges a threat but can’t distinguish between a tiger and a test. It reacts to the “perception of a threat” the same way.

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Understanding Perfectionistic Behavior

Biological• Writing/Drawing v Sports• How family reacted to

situationsFamily• Older siblings • Excessive expectation• Feel guiltyPerception of Differences• Compensation

▪ Students who are Perfectionists .

▪ having exceptionally high expectations for themselves; • being self-critical, self-conscious and easily embarrassed; • having strong feelings of inadequacy and low self-confidence; • exhibiting persistent anxiety about making mistakes; • being highly sensitive to criticism; • procrastinating and avoiding stressful situations or difficult tasks; • being emotionally guarded and socially inhibited; • having a tendency to be critical of others;

• exhibiting difficulty making decisions and prioritizing tasks; • experiencing headaches or other physical ailments when they perform below the expectations of themselves or others.

Causes of Perfectionistic Behavior cont..

Differences• Control what they can• Improve Self-Worth

Cultural / Religious Factors• High expectations from family• Family elders rely on their

successTrauma or Turbulent Environment• Attempt to cope with external

stress

Understanding Behaviors from Covey’s Four Quadrant Model

What Depression Looks like in Teens

Characteristics of Depression in Adolescents

What It Looks Like in School

Decreased self-esteem and feelings of self-worth

Self-deprecating comments

Mild irritability Defiance with authority figures, difficulties interacting with peers, argumentativeness

Negative perceptions of student's past and present

Pessimistic comments, suicidal thoughts

Peer rejection Isolation, frequent change in friends

Lack of interest and involvement in previously enjoyed activities

Isolation and withdrawal

Boredom Sulking, noncompliance

Impulsive and risky behavior Theft, sexual activity, alcohol or drug use, truancy

Substance abuse Acting out of character, sleeping in class

Distress vs. Interference

▪ Examples of distress:– crying every day before going to school, because a parent does

not stay– having an upset stomach every time there is an important test at

school

▪ Examples of interference:– refusal to go on school field trips because of anxiety– being very slow in play or failure to join in with other children– wanting to stay home sick on the day of a school presentation– not wanting to participate in unfamiliar activities

Resources

▪ National Association of School Psychologists– http://

www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/depressclass_ho.pdf

– http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Anxiety_NASSP_Oct09.pdf

▪ ASCD Educational Leadership: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct10/vol68/num02/Responding-to-a-Student%27s-Depression.aspx

▪ https://lsc.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/anxiety.pdf

Strategies to help Students with Depression

▪ Give frequent feedback on academic, social, and behavioral performance.

▪ Teach the student how to set goals and self-monitor.

▪ Teach problem-solving skills.

▪ Coach the student in ways to organize, plan, and execute tasks demanded daily or weekly in school.

▪ Develop modifications and accommodations to respond to the student's fluctuations in mood, ability to concentrate, or side effects of medication. Assign one individual to serve as a primary contact and coordinate interventions.

▪ Give the student opportunities to engage in social interactions.

▪ Frequently monitor whether the student has suicidal thoughts.

▪ Develop a home–school communication system to share information on the student's academic, social, and emotional behavior and any developments concerning medication or side effects.

Strategies to help students who are Perfectionists

▪ 1. Admit to making mistakes and model constructive coping skills.

▪ 2. Provide a calm, uncluttered, and structured environment.

▪ 3. Create opportunities for success that will enhance the student`s self-confidence.

▪ 4. Comment on the child`s strengths and accomplishments. Do this privately when deemed appropriate or write down constructive observations.

▪ 5. Avoid comparing students.

▪ 6. If possible, reduce the academic pressure on these children by altering the grading system.

▪ 7. Involve them in setting realistic standards for themselves.

From http://www.kellybear.com/TeacherArticles/TeacherTip53.html

Strategies to help Students with “Test Anxiety”

▪ Stay relaxed, if you begin to get nervous, take a few deep breaths slowly to relax yourself & then get back to work.

▪ Read the directions slowly & carefully.

▪ If you don’t understand the directions on the test, ask the teacher to explain them to you.

▪ Skim through the test so that you have a good idea about how to pace yourself.

▪ Write down important formulas, facts, definitions/key words in the margins first so you won’t worry about forgetting them.

▪ Do the simple questions first to help build up your confidence for the harder questions.

▪ Focus on the question at hand. Don’t let your mind wander.

From http://testtakingtips.com/anxiety/index.htm