Students' Experiences in Managing Emotions and Maintaining Peace of Mind at SMA Santo Arnoldus Janssen Kupang

Abstract

Adolescents in senior high school face academic demands, peer relationships, and family pressures that can disturb emotional stability and concentration. This study aimed to describe how tenth-grade students experience managing their emotions and maintaining peace of mind at a Catholic senior high school in Kupang, Indonesia. A qualitative phenomenological design was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven students of Class X E and one guidance and counseling (BK) teacher, and were analyzed thematically. Five themes emerged: (1) assignments and exhaustion as the main stressors; (2) pausing and self-calming as first responses; (3) personal calming strategies such as music, breathing, quiet places, and shared coffee breaks; (4) peers and teachers as a mostly supportive environment; and (5) prayer and recollection as spiritual resources. The teacher's account added academic anxiety, peer pressure, and family conflict, and described art therapy, mindfulness, and peer counseling. Students relied mainly on self-initiated, low-cost strategies supported by friends and faith practices. Schools can strengthen these resources by coordinating assignment loads, preserving calm spaces, and reaching students who rarely disclose stress.