{"id":13454,"date":"2024-08-08T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/?p=13454"},"modified":"2024-08-08T16:13:25","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T14:13:25","slug":"burnout-kids-how-parents-ruin-the-life-of-their-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/burnout-kids-how-parents-ruin-the-life-of-their-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Unrealistic Goals Breed Frustration in Children: A Perilous State for the Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Burnout and School<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Katarzyna Sankowska-Nazarewicz: The term \u201cburnout\u201d is most commonly associated with emotional overload caused by work. We rarely think of it in the context of school learning. However, recent social campaigns indicate that the problem exists, and more teenagers are calling for help.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marek Kaczmarzyk*<\/sup>:<\/strong> I believe that teenagers have been reaching out to us for the past two or three decades, but only recently have we begun to truly listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are they crying out about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are overwhelmed by excessive demands and frustrated because they cannot meet these expectations. Let me give you an example: if we take textbooks for any high school grade and stack them on top of each other, the pile will exceed 1,000 pages. Looking at it realistically \u2013 no young person can memorize such an amount of information in ten months. And it\u2019s not about a lack of willingness<\/a>, but rather the limitations of memory physiology and the mechanics of our brain function not being able to handle such a task. And what do we adults do? We look at these books and say, \u201cWell, yes, it can’t be done, but you know what? Let\u2019s try.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in the end, we hold them accountable for whether they succeeded. These unrealistic goals and failed efforts create frustration in young people, which can be extremely harmful to their brain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Burnout
Photo: Annie Spratt \/ Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Frustration and Physical Pain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why is that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we examine this state through neuroimaging, it becomes clear that the brain activity patterns in frustration and physical pain<\/a> are very similar. There are, however, two differences. First, when we are frustrated, it does not physically hurt because there is no projection to the prefrontal cortex, the conscious part of our brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the same limiting processes occur in the brain as those caused by physical pain. Our relational capabilities also change. Naturally, when something hurts us for a long time, we do not feel like engaging in relationships or taking on new challenges. Our cognitive competencies also plummet, and the brain suggests: avoid, flee, or if that fails, fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translating this to the school environment \u2013 if I am frustrated for an extended period of time due to academic failures, it will, on a neurophysiological level, become a trigger for states akin to pain. My brain will automatically activate avoidance mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend:<\/strong> Education Needs to Move Beyond Rankings. A Critical Look at PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS Tests<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Education Needs to Move Beyond Rankings. A Critical Look at PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS Tests<\/a><\/blockquote>