More harm than good: Students overworking themselves at school

Now that students are back in the classrooms, it’s important for them to keep a healthy school-life balance.

One expert at Emergence Health Network says that many students can become obsessive with having high grades while trying to participate in every school activity, sport, or club — usually to build attractive resumes for other schools, universities or jobs.

Therapist Lupita Peña says being overworked or having too much on your plate can start to cause anxiety, stress and lack motivation without even knowing it.

"As long as you're seeing healthy behaviors and patterns where your kids are enjoying a certain extracurricular or activity or they're gaining something from it, then great," says Peña. "But if you're seeing that it's more hurtful or harmful to them where they're really anxious about it, they're really scared or they're not motivated to do it, that's when you can have those conversations and it's always okay to switch out."

The therapist says a healthy balance is when a student is trying different things but comfortable to do so.

Peña also says it’s okay to switch out when things start to feel like too much or when you feel burnt out.