Explain how manageable levels of stress may be beneficial to Grade 12 learners who are expected to pass all the designated subjects.
About this question
Question 1.5 of Life Orientation Grade 12, Provincial Task (Mpumalanga DoE, January 2026). It tests the Term 1 ATP topic Stress Management.
- TermTerm 1
- ATP topicStress Management
- PaperMpumalanga Task Term 1 2026
- Marks6 marks: 3 points, 2 marks each
High school can be a high-pressure time in life and Grade 12 learners must learn effective stress management early, to cope with the high academic demands of this grade. Grade 12 learners with poor stress management techniques give up in the face of high rates of stress, typical of the exit grade. Most often feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on them, whether it is about preparing for exams, deciding on their future career paths, or balancing their social lives with academic priorities.
Given the context of Grade 12, there are numerous social and environmental stressors that may affect learners in this grade, in addition to the academic demands of the different subjects. Without effective stress management techniques, most learners may not make it by the end of the academic year. Some may even suffer from depression and may eventually be hospitalised. If that happens, they miss out on schoolwork and feel even more stressed because of the pile-up of academic work.
The challenge does not end when learners sit for the end of the year examination; big life changes, such as moving from high school to university or getting a first job, can add to the stress. Not all stress is detrimental to a person; healthy or manageable levels of stress may encourage you in different ways. Some common triggers of stress in teens are pressure to perform well in exams, getting into a good university, peer pressure, interpersonal relationships or body image issues. Peers may play an important role in either causing stress or helping you deal with it, and conflict, particularly intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict, may either worsen or help you deal with stressors.
The ability to sustain positive social relationships may enable school-going youths to enhance their emotional well-being. In a nutshell, life is about making choices, and establishing and sustaining personal and social relationships may help to minimise the negative effects of stress.
[Adapted from www.tmcounselling.co.za]
Three ways in which manageable levels of stress may be beneficial to Grade 12 learners are:
- Positive stress keeps the brain alert, which improves concentration and helps learners remember their work better.
- It creates a sense of urgency to meet deadlines, which pushes learners to prioritise tasks and manage their time well so that assignments are done and exams are properly prepared for.
- Coping with manageable stress helps learners build resilience and coping strategies, which makes them better able to deal with the academic demands of all their subjects.
Other points that earn marks
- It triggers the release of adrenaline, which heightens alertness during study sessions and exams.
- It reminds learners to focus on their studies so that all required tasks get completed.
- It puts the brain into a working mode, which improves problem-solving and active engagement with the work.
- It makes learners aware of what lies ahead, so they set clear goals and work systematically towards them.
More Questions On Stress Management
Three physical symptoms of stress are:
- Headaches.
- Fast heartbeat and high blood pressure.
- Muscle tension and pain.
Four reasons why Grade 12 learners may feel overwhelmed balancing their social lives and academic priorities are:
- They may want to spend a lot of time chatting with friends on social media, which uses up valuable study time.
- Their friends may push them to socialise more to be accepted in a group, even when this clashes with their study timetable.
- Sport, clubs, cultural or religious activities may compete with the time they need for schoolwork.
- Parents and teachers may expect top marks while the learners' own interests are still in fun activities with friends.
D: Financial problems.
An external stressor comes from outside the person, from their environment or circumstances. Money problems are caused by the situation around you. Options A, B and C are internal stressors, because they come from a person's own personality, thoughts and feelings.
Stress can cause regular headaches, which make it hard to concentrate, so the learner cannot focus on the work for long periods.
Talking to someone he trusts helps Jackson release his built-up emotions and feel less alone, and the other person may give him advice or support to solve his problems.
B: to live a healthy lifestyle and exercise.
Exercise and a healthy lifestyle release tension and help the body recover from stress hormones. Sleeping, medication or avoidance only hide the problem.