Teens & Stress Management
STRESS. This word has probably buzzed through your head throughout majority of 2020. Teenagers, similar to adults, most likely experience stress every day and can benefit from learning healthy stress management. Most teens experience stress when a situation feels dangerous, difficult or painful. When the sources to cope are unavailable, it’s harder to manage the overload of strain which can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use.
Some ways teenagers experience sources of stress are:
School demands and frustrations
Negative thoughts or feelings about themselves
Changes in their bodies
Problems with friends and/or peers at school
Unsafe living environment/neighborhood
Separation or divorce of parents
Chronic illness or severe problems in the family
Death of a loved one
Moving or changing schools
Taking on too many activities or having too high expectations
Family financial problems
Disruption to routine/structure
When we perceive an experience as challenging or painful, changes occur in our minds and bodies to prepare us to respond to danger. This “fight, flight, or freeze” response includes faster heart and breathing rate, increased blood to muscles of arms and legs, cold or clammy hands and feet, upset stomach and/or a sense of dread.
Parents can help their teen in following ways:
Monitor if stress is affecting their teen's health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings
Listen carefully to teens and watch for overloading
Learn and model stress management skills
Support involvement in pro-social activities
Teens can decrease stress with the following behaviors and techniques:
Exercise and eat regularly.
Get enough sleep and have a good sleep routine.
Avoid excess caffeine which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
Learn relaxation exercises (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques).
Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in polite, firm, and not overly aggressive or passive ways: ("I feel angry when you yell at me.” "Please stop yelling.”)
Rehearse and practice situations which cause stress. One example is taking a speech class if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
Learn practical coping skills. For example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
Decrease negative self-talk: challenge negative thoughts - with alternative, neutral, or positive thoughts. "My life will never get better” can be transformed into "I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.”
Learn to feel good about doing a competent or "good enough” job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.
Encourage your teen to create a stress management plan, teach and practice some coping skills (breathing, grounding, ect.) and introduce/model self-care. Be empathetically attuned to your child and make it known to them that they are not alone. Stress doesn’t have to control our lives. We have a say in how we move forward and take care of ourselves and each other.
“Of all the factors in human life that predict the best positive outcomes, supportive relationships are number one.”
- Dan Siegel
Link to Stress Management Plan Template: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/Documents/BR3_My_Personal_Stress_Plan.pdf