Are You a Stressed-out SmartGirl?

Smart girls decide for themselves.™

Four hundred and eighty-one people (99% were girls) responded to the Stressed-out survey.  The average age of respondents was 14 years old.  Almost 70% of respondents were from the United States, 15% were from the United Kingdom, almost 7% from Canada, 4% from Australia, and the remaining 4% were from different countries all over the world.

SmartGirl asked you to rate on a scale of one to ten how much stress you feel at school, with one being “none” and ten being “a lot.”  The most popular answer was “medium,” or five on the scale.  We also asked you to rate how much stress you feel at home on the same scale.  For that question, the most popular answer was also “medium.”  Lastly, we asked you how much stress you feel at work.  “None” was the top answer by far!

SmartGirl asked, “What are the things that stress you out the most or have given you a lot of stress?”  Here are the top answers:

• Homework – 69%
• Argument – 61%
• School – 61%
• Test – 61%
• Death – 36%
• Public Speaking – 31%

We then asked: “How often do you have insomnia or trouble with falling asleep?” 

Figure 1.1 

SmartGirl asked you to list some of the things you have experienced in a stressful situation.  The top answers were as follows:

• Feeling frustrated – 76%
• Crying – 66%
• Headache – 66%
• Feeling irritable – 53%
• Upset stomach – 52%

SmartGirl wanted to know if you had close friends, relatives or others you could talk to about personal matters and can call on for help when needed.  80% of you said “yes”, 20% said “no” and 69 people didn’t answer the question.

SmartGirl also wanted to know if you have talked with a guidance counselor, social worker, therapist, psychiatrist or psychologist to deal with your stress.  For this question, 61.5% said “yes”, 38.5% said “no” and 50 people didn’t answer the question.

SmartGirl asked how often you take medication (prescription or over-the-counter) for headaches.

Figure 1.2

We then asked how often you take medication (prescription or over-the-counter) to help you sleep.

Figure 1.3

Lastly, SmartGirl asked how often you take non-prescription drugs or drink alcohol to affect your mood or help you relax.

Figure 1.4

SmartGirl asked: “Do you practice any specific stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or planned periods of relaxation?”  27% of respondents said “yes,” 60% said “no” and 64 people didn’t answer the question.  We also asked: “Do your religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs contribute to your happiness?”  For this question, 37% said “yes,” 41% said “no” and 105 people didn’t answer.

How often do you engage in activities you enjoy?  SmartGirl wanted to know, and here are the responses:

Figure 1.5

SmartGirl asked you to respond to the following statement: “I find it easy to balance school, work, and social relations.”

Table 1.1 

*56 people didn’t answer this question.

SmartGirl then asked you to respond to this: “I think that most people are as stressed as I am.”

Table 1.2 

*66 people didn’t answer this question.

What do you do when you get stressed? SmartGirl wanted to know, and here are the top answers you gave us:

• Sleep – 42%
• Eat – 34%
• Other Things – 30%
• Cry – 22%
• Write – 9%
• Avoid People – 6.5%
• Don’t Eat – 23%
• Exercise – 22%

SmartGirl wanted to know what you think is the worst thing someone can do when they are stressed.  Here are some of the typical responses:

• “The worst thing a person can do when they are stressed is not looking for help.” (SmartGirl, 19)
• “Completely lock all their feelings inside. I do that sometimes, and all that happens is it bottles all to the surface until I can't handle it anymore.” (SmartGirl, 15)
• “Procrastinate things like school work or other projects that are part of what is stressing them out.  If that's what's stressing you out, you should get it done so that it will stop stressing you out and you can take some time to just chill.” (SmartGirl, 16)
• “The worst thing to do is to act on something/make an important decision while you are experiencing an episode of stress.  Stress can often make on irrational and emotionally unstable.” (SmartGirl, 23)
• “Do something dangerous, such as drugs or alcohol. This will not only make them more stressed in the long run, but endanger their health as well.” (SmartGirl, 15)
• “Not try to help themselves understand why they are stressed. Sometimes you can't help being stress, but it's how you deal with it that is really important.” (SmartGirl, 14)

SmartGirl asked you to give advice to other stressed-out SmartGirls.  Here’s what some of you had to say:

• “Do whatever makes you feel confident, special, or important!  It will make you feel better!” (SmartGirl, 14)
• “Make a list of little things that make you happy (i.e., clothes warm from the dryer, puppies, chocolate cake) and keep it handy, along with pictures of fun times or things you like to remember. Look at them when you feel stressed and try to relax and be happy!”  (SmartGirl, 15)
• “Don't stress out about the small stuff, and always do what you feel is right.” (SmartGirl, 15)
• “Try to relax and think about things in the big picture...will what you are stressing about matter in a day?  A week?  A month?  A year?” (SmartGirl, 20)
• “Stay away from negative influences! Turn to your parent(s), a friend, a loved one, or anyone you can trust. It really helps to get things off your chest.” (SmartGirl, 14)
• “Try to be in tune with your feelings.  When you feel stressed try to figure out why, then try to find the appropriate solution.  Through trial and error you'll find solutions to each type of stress you experience.” (SmartGirl, 17)
• “I'd say that you just have to try different things and see what works best for you. Meditation, music, talking, crying, as long as you’re doing something that's not hurting yourself, and not hurting others.” (SmartGirl, 13)

 Thank you for taking the time to share you thoughts with us!