When the last page of the summer vacation is about to turn over, many children began to "burn the midnight oil to make up their homework", and also said: "a pen a lamp a person, to create a myth." The air was no longer filled with the sweet smell of freedom, but with the subtle smell of anxiety and tension.
On the eve of school, what "stress signals" should children and parents be wary of? How to overcome "back-to-school syndrome"? Professor Yang Hui of gastroenterology department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University gives the answer.
On the eve of school, what "stress signals" should children and parents be wary of?
- For children, on those nights when they are swamped by a sea of homework, the child's body quietly releases a "symphony" of stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline.
These hormones are not only the accelerators of the heartbeat and the promoters of blood pressure, but also quietly, staging a "dark war" with our digestive system. The environmental transition of returning to school, especially in a relatively strict learning atmosphere, often constitutes a hidden source of pressure for children, and this pressure and the negative emotions derived from it sometimes exceed the scope of children's own emotional recognition and expression ability.
In the case of immature psychological adjustment mechanism, children may reflect inner discomfort and anxiety through physical symptoms.
Manifestations may include gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea and vomiting, or central nervous system reactions such as dizziness, headache, and even non-specific symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and abdominal pain, which together form a pattern of psychosomatic responses to adaptive challenges in children.
- For adults, there is another red stress "alarm" sign that also needs attention - irritable bowel syndrome.
Experts say that in the professional field of clinical medicine, the association between mood swings and gastrointestinal dysfunction is precisely defined as one of the core manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The persistence of anxiety, tension and stress not only creates a complex stress pattern at the psychological level, but also directly "talks" to the intestine, inducing a series of gastrointestinal symptoms, including but not limited to abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation.
If you feel the urge to go to the bathroom at a critical moment, then you may be facing the challenge of IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome can be manifested as abdominal pain, bloating, changes in bowel habits, abnormal stool characteristics and mucous stool, etc., generally occurring between 20 and 50 years of age, women are more common than men.
In addition, IBS is often accompanied by other gastrointestinal disorders, such as functional dyspepsia. The onset of this disease can seriously interfere with the patient's work, study, daily life and mental health, and reduce the overall quality of life of patients.
How to overcome "back-to-school syndrome"?
Experts suggest that if the child appears "school syndrome", do not be overly nervous, should maintain a peaceful state of mind to increase the child's sense of security, so as not to pass their anxiety to the child, increase the child's anxiety, and actively help the child to carry out positive guidance and lifestyle adjustment.
- Work time capsule
Plan your time wisely and break your work down into smaller tasks to avoid last-minute panic. Regular sleep and adequate sleep help maintain overall health and may reduce the incidence of symptoms. Parents can help their children take the initiative to understand the new curriculum, develop a reasonable semester learning plan, and set feasible short-term and long-term goals, which helps to reduce anxiety and improve learning results.
- Quiet moments for breathing and meditation
Practice deep breathing or meditation to relax your body and reduce the production of stress hormones. It is recommended that children use this time to adjust the rest time in the week before school, advance the biological clock by 1 to 2 hours, gradually adapt to the rhythm of getting up early and going to bed early, and reduce the time to play electronic products to ensure adequate sleep.
- The guardian of healthy eating
Maintain a balanced diet and avoid fatty or irritating foods to create a gut-friendly environment. Pay attention to a balanced diet, can eat more fiber-rich foods.
- Exercise's happy hormones
Exercise helps to relieve stress and regulate the body and mind. Parents can appropriately accompany their children to carry out outdoor sports, exercise, enhance physical fitness, and improve their ability to resist pressure.
- An emotional garden
Encourage children to share their concerns with family or friends, and talking about them can be a release in itself. Learn to correctly understand the challenges such as academic tasks and interpersonal relationships, maintain a positive attitude, and believe that you can overcome difficulties.
