If you're unfamiliar with the CASEL framework, we highly recommend reading this article first, as it will greatly enhance your understanding of soft skills.
Check it out here.
Introduction to Pressure management:
Pressure management is the ability to effectively handle and cope with stress and high-pressure situations. From managing academic deadlines and social expectations as children to handling workplace demands and personal challenges as adults, the need for proficient pressure management is ubiquitous. In today's fast-paced and competitive world, cultivating this skill is essential for fostering resilience, maintaining well-being, and achieving success across all age groups. As individuals face increasingly complex and demanding environments in the future, the ability to manage pressure will remain a valuable asset, enabling adaptability, productivity, and overall fulfillment.
Core Area of Competence:
The soft skill is found in the following core areas of competence, and more specifically under a core behavior of each area:
Self-Management: Manage and express one’s emotions, thoughts, impulses, and stress in constructive ways.
Self-Awareness: Awareness of personal strengths, challenges, and goals.
Core Behaviors that require the soft skill of Pressure management:
Pressure management is manifested differently in each age group:
6-8 Years:
Self-Management:
Recognizing Stress: Children begin to recognize when they feel stressed or overwhelmed by certain situations, such as a challenging task or a conflict with a peer.
Example: A child expresses feeling anxious before a class presentation and seeks comfort from a teacher or parent.
Self-Awareness:
Seeking Support: Children may seek support from trusted adults or peers when they feel pressured, relying on them for guidance and reassurance.
Example: A child asks their teacher for help when they're struggling with a difficult assignment, demonstrating the ability to seek assistance when feeling overwhelmed.
9-11 Years:
Self-Management:
Developing Coping Strategies: Children start to develop coping strategies to manage stress, such as deep breathing exercises, taking breaks, or talking about their feelings.
Example: A child practices deep breathing techniques before a test to calm their nerves and improve focus.
Self-Awareness:
Setting Realistic Goals: Children learn to set realistic goals and expectations for themselves, reducing pressure by breaking tasks into manageable steps.
Example: A child sets a goal to complete one math problem at a time instead of trying to finish the entire worksheet in one sitting, reducing feelings of overwhelm.
12-14 Years:
Self-Management:
Managing feelings: Adolescents apply strategies to manage stress and think about how showing their feelings can have different results.
Example: A teenager practices mindfulness exercises or engages in hobbies like drawing or playing music to reduce stress, understanding that expressing their emotions constructively can lead to healthier outcomes.
Self-Awareness:
Resilience in the Face of Challenges: Adolescents demonstrate resilience by bouncing back from setbacks, learning from failures, and recognizing their strengths, reducing the impact of pressure on their mental well-being.
Example: A teenager learns from a disappointing grade on a test by identifying areas for improvement and seeking help from a tutor, demonstrating resilience in the face of academic challenges.
15-17 Years:
Self-Management:
Seeking Healthy Outlets: Older teens seek healthy outlets to manage stress, such as exercise, creative activities, or spending time with supportive friends and family.
Example: A teenager goes for a run after a long day of studying to relieve stress and clear their mind.
Self-Awareness:
Practice acceptance: Older teens focus on aspects of themselves they can improve and accept those they cannot.
Example: A teenager sets realistic goals for personal growth, such as improving time management skills or developing stronger communication skills, while also embracing their unique qualities and accepting their limitations.
Promoting the Soft Skill:
For Parents and Care Givers:
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Create a Relaxation Corner: Dedicate a quiet space in the home where children can go to relax and unwind when they're feeling stressed. Fill it with comforting items like pillows, blankets, books, or calming music.
Model Positive Coping Strategies: Be mindful of how you handle stress in front of your children. Model healthy coping strategies such as taking breaks, talking about your feelings, or seeking support from others when needed.
Provide Emotional Validation: Validate your children's feelings and emotions, even if they seem trivial or insignificant. Let them know that it's okay to feel stressed or anxious and that you're there to support them through difficult times.
Seek Professional Help if Needed: If children consistently struggle with managing stress or exhibit signs of anxiety or depression, seek guidance from a mental health professional. A therapist or counselor can provide additional support and resources tailored to your child's needs.
For Tutors:
Journaling Prompts: Provide learners with journaling prompts related to stress management and resilience. Encourage them to write about their thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies, and reflect on their experiences to gain insight into their stressors and develop healthier ways of coping.
Test Anxiety Coping Strategies: Teach learners specific coping strategies for managing test anxiety, such as visualization techniques, positive affirmations, or relaxation exercises. Practice these techniques together during tutoring sessions and encourage students to use them during exams to stay calm and focused.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Teach learners progressive muscle relaxation techniques to release tension and promote relaxation. Lead them through a series of muscle tensing and releasing exercises to help them become more aware of physical signs of stress and learn to relax their bodies.
Awareness of Stress Triggers: Encourage learners to reflect on and identify their individual stressors or triggers. Help them recognize specific situations, tasks, or thoughts that tend to induce stress and anxiety.
Feedback and Reflection:
Provide feedback on learners' time management, resource utilization, and prioritization skills after completing specific tasks or projects. Encourage self-reflection by asking questions such as, "What strategies did you use to manage pressure while completing this task? How did you prioritize your workload? What adjustments could you make to enhance pressure management in similar tasks?"
Schedule regular weekly check-ins to review learners' progress in managing pressure. Discuss their handling of tasks, deadlines, and resources throughout the week. Offer feedback on their organizational efforts, emotional management and encourage self-reflection by asking questions like, "What techniques helped you manage pressure effectively this week? Did you encounter any challenges in staying organized? How can you overcome these challenges moving forward?"
Highlight the importance of self-care practices in maintaining overall well-being and managing stress. Encourage learners to reflect on their self-care routines and identify activities that help them relax, recharge, and replenish their energy.
Encourage learners to implement monthly reflection sessions. Celebrate learners' progress and growth in managing stress effectively. Encourage them to reflect on their accomplishments and acknowledge the positive changes they've made in their stress management habits.
During transitional periods, such as starting a new academic year, transitioning to a new phase of education, or entering the workforce assess learners’ readiness to handle increased responsibilities and challenges. Offer feedback on how they handled their emotions and their relationships with others. You can promote self-reflection by asking questions like: “What kind of emotions arose for me during this period? How did I cope with them? Are there any moments I regret for my behavior or the way I handled things? Are there any moments I am proud of how I handled the situation? How can I become better in the future?”
Additional Resources:
Watch “Managing Stress: Good for Your Health” by Veterans Health Administration.
Watch “How stress affects your brain” by TED-Ed.
Watch “How to stay calm under pressure” by TED-Ed.
Check out 5 strategies on pressure management for children by Yoremi.
Read “How to help children and teens manage their stress” by the American Psychological Association.
Watch “How to achieve high performance under stress” with Jannell MacAulay on TEDx Talks.
Conclusion:
In summary, pressure management skills are indispensable assets that empower individuals to navigate life's challenges with resilience and grace. Recognizing the significance of cultivating these abilities, both parents and tutors serve as crucial pillars in facilitating skill development. Encouraging proactive engagement across various learning environments ensures the holistic growth and success of individuals in effectively managing pressure throughout their journey.
References:
Frye, K. E., Boss, D. L., Anthony, C. J., Du, H., & Xing, W. (2022). Content analysis of the Casel framework using K–12 state SEL Standards. School Psychology Review, 1–15. doi:10.1080/2372966x.2022.2030193
Tripathy, M. (2018). Recognizing & Handling the Underlying Causes of Stress at Workplace: An Approach through Soft Skills. International Journal of Management, Accounting & Economics, 5(7).
Melser, N. A. (2019). Soft skills for children: A guide for parents and teachers. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Murray, D. W., & Rosanbalm, K. (2017). Promoting Self-Regulation in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Practice Brief. OPRE Report 2015-82. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.