Be Selfish!

This is what we're advising students to do this Half-Term in our High School assemblies. Too often, young people are pulled in so many directions that they don't spend enough 'me' time by themselves. And 'by themselves', we mean turning off the XBox, putting down the phone and staying off the computer. Quality time, doing nothing, just 'being'.

As people who are older and uglier, we are bombarded with statistics about stress among homeowners, anxiety within employment and ample other causes behind high blood pressure. For our young people though, the coverage tends to lie in the shadows. It's worrying to discover the following:

68% of students feel very stressed about not doing well in their exams and it affecting their futures.

49% said they would feel devastated if they did not achieve the grades they wanted in their exams.

81% said they felt under pressure became too much for them.

40% of parents with a teenager admit that their children have told them they want to change how they look.

This speaks volumes to us, that young people worry too much! Is it our fault for putting too much pressure on our kids to be the best? Is society to blame for projecting an unattainable image? Do the schools demand too much from exams? Honestly, I think everything in life these days contributes to the pressure cooker of stress building up in us. More importantly than ever, then, we need to blow off steam. Time to be selfish.

The Bible tells us that Jesus spent lots of time by himself. The ultimate guy for us to follow as Christians, absolute perfection; if it was okay for him to be selfish, we're cleared too!

The assembly runs through a few strategies and videos on how to handle stress, but it all boils down to how we need to take time out. To be still. So far the assembly has been well received and we have had positive comments from staff who have actively encouraged the students to be more selfish and take time out.

It's probably not a bad idea for us to do the same then...!