Profiles on Passion: Part IV

Sometimes, picking a topic interesting enough to research for a whole year can be extremely challenging, and having to connect it to one’s life does not make the process any simpler. However, it seems sophomore Kitty O’Connell was able to naturally find a topic when she was choosing her Passion Project: stress.

There certainly is no lack of stress here at Edina High School. O’Connell first thought of the idea to research stress after multiple people approached her expressing how stressful the Passion Project itself was going to be.

“I feel that lots of students at EHS are constantly impacted by stress, and don’t find enough time in their busy schedules to relax,” explained O’Connell.

O’Connell noted, however, that acknowledging stress is not the main issue; the problem most high school students face is how to manage it. “The main problem regarding [stress] is that too much of it goes by unmanaged, causing a plethora of negative health effects,” said O’Connell.

With consequences ranging from minor things like headaches or sleep difficulties to more severe problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, skin conditions, arthritis, depression, and anxiety, managing stress is essential to one’s well-being. “I’m not directly passionate about stress, but I am passionate about health, and stress management plays a key role in health,” said O’Connell.

O’Connell explained that the answer to stress can be as easy as just taking a breather. “Stress is such an interesting topic, especially when I learned that simply relaxing can undo many of its harmful effects,” she said. Furthermore, viewing stress in a positive light can be beneficial to one’s health. A little bit of well-managed anxiety can actually drive someone to be more observant and diligent in their work.

O’Connell’s investigation on stress does not stop with her Passion Project paper. For the all important Action Step of the project, she plans to bring solutions to the problem straight to the school. “I am really hoping to create a physical education class at EHS that would focus on relaxation and include yoga, meditation, and deep breathing,” said O’Connell.