Stress and Anger Management

It's no secret that Middle School can foster some intense emotions within students. Counselors routinely meet with students who are having trouble managing their anger or their stress level. All PPS staff at the Middle School are trained and adept at working with these students in their time of need. We will work diligently with the student to identify stressors and triggers, and develop, in partnership, strategies for success. Sometimes these issues are best dealt with in a one-on-one setting, and sometimes students can benefit in learning from each other in a group setting. We have the capabilities to provide either environment, depending on the student and the situation. We also encourage families to reach out for help if they are experiencing trouble managing these emotions with their students at home. Together, as partners there is no problem we can't work through!

How Full is your Glass of Water?

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Audience members called out a range of different weights, to which the lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter; it depends on how long you try to hold it."

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "and that's the way it is with stress and anger management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for awhile and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

Allow yourself permission to RELAX. Then, when your mind and body are well rested, you'll be better equipped to carry on. Life is short, enjoy it!