Category: Student Wellbeing

Teen Academic Burnout: A Growing Crisis We Can No Longer Ignore

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

I’ve been thinking a lot about the quiet exhaustion I often notice in teenagers today, the way their shoulders slump under the invisible weight of expectations, or how their eyes lose a little of their spark as exams approach. Sometimes, when I’m mentoring students or talking to parents, I find myself asking: When did learning become so heavy for our children?

In Pakistan, where grades are tied to prestige, opportunity, and sometimes even family honour, academic pressure doesn’t just sit in school bags; it follows students into their homes, their sleep, and their identities. And whether we admit it or not, teen academic burnout has slowly become a national concern.

What Exactly Is Teen Academic Burnout?

Academic burnout is more than just being “tired of studying.” Psychologists describe it as a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by long-term academic stress (Schaufeli et al., 2002).

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The Real Measure of a Quality Life — It’s Not What You Think

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

There comes a time in life when we must pause and ask ourselves: Are we truly living the life we want, or just the one we think we should live?

Yesterday, during a classroom discussion about what it means to live a “quality life,” one of my students curiously asked, “Sir, how can we know that we are living a quality life?” Before I could respond, another student confidently answered, “It’s simple! When we get rich and can buy everything we want, that means we’re living a quality life.” A third student immediately followed up, “So, does that mean being rich and having lots of money leads to a quality life?”

Their innocent but thought-provoking exchange left me reflecting deeply. If 12- and 13-year-olds are already anxious about what defines a good life, then as adults, do we ever stop to think about the same question? Have we limited our life goals to simply earning money and living comfortably? Or is there something beyond convenience, something that gives meaning to both our living and our dying?

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Why Parents Need to Be Aware of What Content Their Child Is Browsing

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

The Role of Parents in Keeping Their Child Digitally Safe and Secure

Yesterday, I received a call from one of my students’ mothers. Her question was simple yet deeply significant: “Should I allow my 15-year-old to have a cellphone?” She explained her concerns that teenagers often spend all their free time glued to their screens, and worse, that her child might stumble upon inappropriate or harmful content online. Her voice carried both love and fear — emotions every parent today can relate to.

In today’s digital world, these concerns are not exaggerated. Children have easy access to thousands of websites and social media platforms. Whether through smartphones, tablets, or laptops, the internet is now deeply intertwined with how they learn, communicate, and express themselves, especially after the pandemic’s shift toward virtual learning.

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Why Family Involvement Matters for Teens

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Last week, I sat down to watch The Blind Side again—the 2009 Hollywood film starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron. Though I’d seen it before, this time it struck me differently. Perhaps because, as a teacher and mentor working closely with teenagers, I’ve come to recognize just how fragile the teenage years can be and how much difference a caring family—or even one caring adult—can make.

The movie tells the true story of Michael Oher, who grew up facing poverty, neglect, and homelessness before becoming an NFL star. While it’s framed as a sports drama, I saw it less as a football story and more as a lesson on family involvement. As I watched Michael’s life unfold on screen, I couldn’t stop asking myself: What does family really mean for a teenager’s growth and development?

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Why Is Teaching Empathy Essential in Our Classrooms?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

How does teaching compassion to students equip them to tackle future challenges and adapt to new situations?

As educators, we often observe diverse forms of student behaviour within the classroom. One particularly noteworthy behaviour is when students support each other. For instance, when I asked a student, “Why are you not participating in class today? What is troubling you?” another student responded on her behalf, “Sir, she is not feeling well.” This spontaneous awareness of a peer’s emotional state exemplifies what is commonly referred to as empathy—the capacity to understand and share the feelings of others. However, the question arises: how can one truly comprehend another’s feelings? Is empathy an innate trait for some, or is it a skill that can and should be cultivated within the classroom?

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Self-Disgust And Borderline Personality Disorder Among Teens

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

New Research Highlights Self-Dissatisfaction in Adolescents as A Possible Precursor To BPD

Recently, I had a conversation with a former student who is now in her second year of medical school. She shared her career goals, which seemed promising, but then her mood shifted. She expressed ongoing dissatisfaction with her life and self, saying things like, “I don’t like how I am or how my life is going… It’s not what I expect… nobody understands me… I messed up my life… in fact, I have no life.” I listened patiently and tried to calm her as she opened up. This encounter left me reflecting on why self-dissatisfaction develops and how it affects lives.

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Student Burnout – Academic Pressure Causes High-Level Anxiety

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Parents Beware: “If You Are Not Ahead, You Are Behind” Is Not a Healthy Mental Strategy

Today, high school is more challenging for students than ever before. The constant pressure to excel academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and prepare for the future often leaves students overwhelmed. Recently, at a parent orientation, a story was shared that highlights this struggle: a student who had fallen behind on several projects because of pending physics assignments. She still lagged behind despite giving up her summer holidays to catch up. This chaotic academic pressure affected her social life she became less engaged with family and friends and suffered from irregular sleep and anxiety attacks over minor issues. Despite these warning signs, her parents insisted on extra evening tuitions, hoping she could keep up with the class. Unfortunately, cases like hers are increasingly common, and they showcase a worrying trend—students feeling burnt out, exhausted, and unable to enjoy learning or life.

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