Stress Management for Teens

Stress is a natural reaction of the body and is necessary for survival and to motivate us into action. When we perceive something is threatening our well-being our bodies go into a "fight-or-flight" response to protect itself.

Eustress is the good kind of stress, such as exercise or tests. Exercise puts a certain amount of physical stress on our bodies which keep healthy. Exam stress motivates us to learn.

A healthy amount of stress is a positive thing as it motivates us to do our best. Too much stress becomes a problem because it affects our body and health as well as how we cope with day to day things.

Everyone deals with stress differently. What causes you to become stressed might be different for your friends and family. There are many things than can cause over stress, including:

- Moving house
- A death in the family
- Heavy workload
- Exams and study load
- New responsibilities
- A traumatic event
- Relationships with family or friends

- Unable to sleep
- Feel irritable and angry
- Cry for no apparent reason
- Headaches
- Upset stomach, nausea
- Diarrhea, Constipation or Indigestion
- Feeling frustrated
- Tend to avoid others

If you are experiencing any of these problems, and they concern you, speak with your health care provider, school counselor or youth worker for stress management for teens.

Exercising – Go for a walk or run to get rid of pent up energy. Exercise gets the adrenalin pumping and gives you an overall good feeling that helps clear the mind.

Hanging out – Spend time with your friends. Get away from things by going out. Talk with your friends - they may be feeling something similar.

Write it down – Scribble, jot or write in detail about your concerns, worries or situation that stresses you out. Sometimes writing it down can release your frustrations enough to get a better idea of what’s happening and ways to solve it.

Speaking to someone else – Speak with someone you trust to get ideas to help solve or fix your problem situation. Talking with a parent, teacher, youth worker or school counselor may give you information to help you cope.

Deep breathing – Taking deep breaths can help calm you down. Try doing some deep breaths to help you focus for exams or a job interview. Deep breathing can be used any where, any time to help you relax.

Don’t set your goals too high – Creating unrealistic goals for yourself can make it harder to keep things in perspective. If you find you are stressing out about getting things done, you might have too much on your plate and need to prioritize.

Avoid using substances – Smoking, drugs and alcohol are often used as ways to manage stress. Try to avoid these as they may cause you problems in the long run. Use other, more beneficial ways of coping with stress.

Take a break - Sometimes its necessary to take a break and just relax. Read your fav novel. See a movie. Or do absolutely nothing. Unwind.

Stress Management for Teens: There are many different ways of coping and dealing with stress. Use your own ideas and come up with something creative to help you manage and balance your day to day activities.