30-Minute Growth Mindset Class Aids Teens in Managing Academic Stress

Stress Relief in Just Half an Hour
This quick 30-minute growth mindset exercise is designed to help teenagers cope with school-related stress. Research indicates that a single online session can significantly enhance how teens handle stress over the long term.

By Jamie Taylor
July 11, 2022
Image by Kobus Louw/E+/Getty Images

Supporting a teen’s mental well-being involves addressing various issues: social anxiety, safety concerns in schools, and academic pressure, among others. Fortunately, a group of researchers has developed a free 30-minute online class focused on fostering a growth mindset, which can help teens better manage stress, particularly related to schoolwork, such as presentations and grades.

Created by experts at the University of Texas at Austin, this interactive session guides students through reflecting on past stressful experiences while teaching them how to view stress as a potential growth opportunity rather than a barrier. “We aim to shift teenagers’ perceptions of stress and their reactions to it,” stated Dr. Alex Reed, psychologist and lead researcher. “We want them to understand that feelings of stress can indicate growth when facing challenges.”

In their study, researchers divided a group of 4,000 high school and college students into two segments: one group participated in the growth mindset training while the other engaged in a placebo session focused on brain functions. The results showed that those who underwent the growth mindset training exhibited significantly lower stress indicators, such as heart rate, when confronted with challenging situations. The findings were published in the esteemed journal Nature.

For those unfamiliar, a “growth mindset” contrasts sharply with a “fixed mindset.” For instance, a child who has been told they struggle with math may develop a fixed belief that they are inherently bad at it, leading to anxiety during math classes. Conversely, a student with a growth mindset would recognize stress and physical symptoms, like a racing heart, as signs of brain development. Instead of allowing stress to overwhelm them, they view it as motivation to improve their understanding of math, knowing that with effort, the anxiety will lessen.

Moreover, the study revealed promising long-term benefits. Researchers revisited participants nine months later and discovered that those who had completed the growth mindset session were 14% more likely to pass their courses by the end of the academic year. Dr. Reed noted that this approach challenges the common notion of self-care, which often treats stress as a purely negative experience requiring distraction or relief through activities like yoga or herbal tea. “Such methods may distract you but don’t address the root causes of stress,” he explained.

This 30-minute intervention is available online. I even tried it myself, well beyond my school years, and found it helpful in reframing various stressful scenarios. Share this valuable resource with a teen or a mom friend who might be feeling overwhelmed.

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Summary:
A free 30-minute online class focused on growth mindset has been shown to effectively help teenagers manage academic stress. Research from the University of Texas at Austin highlights how this intervention teaches teens to reframe stress as a tool for growth, leading to better stress responses and improved academic outcomes.

Keyphrase: Growth mindset class for teens
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