Eva Funck shows Generation Z how to be friends with our emotions

Despite frequent alarm reports about young people's mental health, most Swedish teens confirm that they actually feel quite well. However, studies show that certain consuming emotions are quickly spreading in Generation Z, not least stress and anxiety. One possible reason comes from Bris, which reports that 60 percent of all incoming calls about stress are related to school. We also know that many young people who live with stress also experience recurring headaches and stomach problems. The question is, what can we do about it?

“All humans are equipped with the same nine basic emotions that our genetic ancestors had on the Savanna millions of years ago. Each individual emotion has a specific task and is just as crucial to our survival now as it was then. But therefore allowing our emotions to take full control of our lives would be as smart as making a four-year-old the head of security at an amusement park. Instead, we must become friends with our emotions and learn how to use them constructively,” says Eva Funck, award-winning tv-host and public educator.

Several studies show that schoolrelated stress has become everyday life for many high school students. The statistics are the bleakest among girls, with no less than 59 percent feeling worried that their final grades will not be enough. Even in middle school, stress levels have hit red, with the introduction of grades in schoolyear 6 often pinpointed as a contributing factor: “Even before pupils turn fifteen, they can say that if I don’t pass school, I’ll end up a nobody as adult,” says Björn Högberg, researcher on the connection between school and students’ well-being.

“I have dyslexia and was assumed to be both stupid and lazy at school. But then one day, after having toiled with the alphabet, a teacher looked at me warmly and said, “There’s something special about you, Eva.” Her words planted an emotion that gave me the courage and curiosity to explore what that special thing was. And since we never get rid of our emotions, we must learn to understand them, and one of my biggest driving forces is to give children and teens the tools to help themselves,” says Eva Funck.

In the report The only thing I think about is stress and school, more than one in two high school students state that performance demands at school have a negative impact on their mental well-being. Many worry about the amounts of homework and not keeping up in class. Also high on the list are long school days and rowdy classrooms. The single most important factor is the number of exams, and especially the national exams that are perceived as particularly decisive for grades. Something that in turn add an extra stress that 59 percent of all students experience hinders their performance. But tricks are available…

“When we study, it is tremendously important how we use our time, what attitude we have and that we create smart strategies. Some effective techniques include association, repetition, reaching our goal with reasonable steps and, above all, fixed sleep routines. One analogy is that studying without strategies is like searching for treasures without a map, but if we do it right, it is more fun, easier and gives greater effect with less effort,” explains teacher Martin Fernström in UR's Pluggkoden.

If stress still arise, there are several methods to keep it under control: Write a priority list of what is most important and when deadlines occur. Make studying time enjoyable by lighting candles and treating yourself to a snack. Plan a few fun things – or at least minor breaks – inbetween homework. And above all: Set reasonable goals, no one master everything. Studies also show that the school's social climate is the most important positive factor for students' well-being: Try to arrange collaborations and competitions in and between classes.

“Used correctly, our emotions help us function together, set boundaries and create change where needed. When I was a child, I met adults who showed me that the world was wide open. In my profession, I meet lots of researchers and psychologists who explain how we can manage our emotions to achieve our goals. This is invaluable knowledge – not least for managing school stress – and I am looking so much forward to pass it on to Uppsala's teens and hopefully help them take the driver's seat on their way into the future,” says Eva Funck.

Watch video: Våra känslor från savannen

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Erland Beskow a o