Episode Summary
In this episode of The BAGO Mic, students talk about dealing with stress and how it can affect thoughts, feelings, and behavior. They describe what stress feels like, what triggers it at school and outside of school, and how they notice stress building in their bodies and minds.
Students share common stressors such as too much homework, chores, and pressure to be on time. They also discuss responsibility for pets, including the worry of getting home to check on animals and concerns about a pregnant dog. Their conversation shows how stress can come from caring about others and trying to keep up with expectations.
They explain how stress can change the way people talk and act, sometimes making them feel overwhelmed, angry, or withdrawn. Students also describe healthy ways they calm down, including drawing, listening to music, going outside, breathing, taking a walk, and asking for space when they need it.
The episode closes with students naming trusted adults they can talk to when stress feels too big and offering advice for others—slow down, breathe, drink water, ask for help, and take time to reset.
Takeaways
• Stress can make it hard to think, speak, or stay calm.
• Homework, chores, and time pressure are major stressors.
• Caring for pets can add responsibility and worry.
• Stress can affect mood and how people treat others.
• Healthy coping strategies include drawing, music, and time outside.
• Trusted adults and friends can help when stress feels overwhelming.
Hainipi (hi-Ne Pee)… that means hi, hey, or hello in a friendly way.
Hi everyone! Welcome to The BAGO Mic, powered by student voice—where students lead the way.
We are students from Winnebago Public Schools, broadcasting from the Winnebago Native American Reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska. This podcast is created by us… for the world.
Let’s start by introducing ourselves.
My name is Etta.
My name is Xailei.
My name is Jason.
Today’s episode is about: Dealing with stress.
Before we begin, we want to share something we’re thankful for:
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for life and friends.
I am thankful for trees and food.
Now let’s get into it!
Once again, the topic we are talking about is dealing with stress.
What does stress feel like for you—either in your body or your mind?
What stress feels like for me is like my brain stops working and I just don’t know how to think or answer.
Something that I get stressed about is when I have too much homework. I get overwhelmed, it makes me upset, and I get stressed.
What stresses me out is if we’re going to get home on time.
Why do you need to get home on time?
Just so I can check on my animals.
Do you have a horse?
No, I have a cat and dog.
What’s the cat and dog’s name? Next question.
What are some things at school that can make students feel stressed?
Too much work. And having to answer questions that you don’t know.
When people have too much work and I have a lot too, it’s like I can barely control how much stress I have. It makes me really overwhelmed.
I get stressed at school if I’m going to get to school on time.
I never go to school on time anyways.
What are some things outside of school that can cause stress?
Outside of school, maybe chores. Like if you have pets, you always have to feed them, water them, and make sure they’re staying alive.
Mine is having too many chores. It’s like too much, but I want to make my mom happy because when she gets home from work, she’s always stressed.
Outside of school, I get stressed if my dog is going to give birth yet because she’s pregnant.
She’s pregnant?
What’s the dog’s name?
Daisy.
How do you usually know when you are starting to feel stressed?
My brain just stops working and I can’t speak at all.
When I have too much work and it makes me overwhelmed, I start to feel stressed. So I bring my papers home, I breathe, I kind of ground myself, and then I focus. Then I calm down.
How I know I’m starting to get stressed is I start breathing heavily because I don’t know a question or something.
How can stress affect the way someone acts, talks, or treats others?
People can get mad or really mean. They’ll be like, “Hey, do you want to hang out?” “No, I don’t want to hang out with you.”
For me, when people have too much work and I don’t, it doesn’t feel fair. People start yelling at me, then I get overwhelmed, and then I just go to my room and stay in there to calm down for a while.
How I know someone is stressed is the way they talk. They might be in a bad mood or they might talk kind of weird.
What is something healthy you do to help yourself calm down when you are feeling stressed?
When we’re eating, I’m always the last one because I take forever. My mom yells at me a little bit, and then I hurry up and eat so she doesn’t get mad at me.
Some healthy ways I calm down when I’m stressed are drawing, or going outside and playing something.
When I’m stressed, I like to draw, but I also like to listen to music. Sometimes I do both.
Who is someone you can trust that you could talk to when stress feels too big?
I could talk to my counselor. I can tell her, and she tells me to talk about it, and then I feel much better.
Who I go to when stress feels too big is either my sister or my mom because they help me feel better.
Who I go to when I’m stressed is probably my mom or maybe my grandma.
What is something adults or teachers can do that helps reduce stress for students?
I could tell Mr. Kleve that I’m stressed, and then I could ask him if I can go for a walk.
I can ask my dad if we can go on a ride or go somewhere so it can reduce my stress.
At home, I can ask my parents or adults if I can talk with them, or I can tell them I’m going outside for a while.
How can friends support each other when someone is feeling stressed?
A friend could see I’m stressed and talk to me. I might ask for a few minutes to myself, and then they can come back and I can tell them when I’m ready.
If I’m feeling stressed, I’ll tell my friends I’m stressed so they don’t make it worse. And if I can’t deal with it, I’ll ask them if they have advice.
My friends can back away for a while so I don’t yell at them. Like, “Hey, are you okay?” “Shut—” I don’t want to be like that. So I ask them to stay away for a while so I don’t end up hurting them or myself.
What advice would you give to another student who is feeling overwhelmed or stressed right now?
Take a few deep breaths, maybe drink some water, and ask the teacher to go for a walk.
You could draw. But if you’re not good at drawing, you can go outside and hang out with your friends.
Take a big breather and sit for a while. When you’re ready, you can tell someone what’s wrong, and then you’ll probably feel much better.
Thanks for listening to The BAGO Mic. We hope our voices made you think, feel, or smile today.
Remember: your voice matters, our story matters, and YOU matter.
Thank you. See you all again!
Wa’įniginąpšąną (Wa eenee gee nump shana) — thank you all
Žige hanicakjawi (Je ge honey chuck Ja wee) — see you all again in a warm way