STRESS
MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS
Did you realize that
stressed spelled backwards is desserts?
You may have heard that stress has a good and a bad side. The good side keeps you alert, active and involved in the world, the bad side can keep you from enjoying life and can be mildly to severely hazardess to your health.
Stress is a normal reaction to life for people of all ages. It's caused by your body's instinct to protect itself from emotional or physical pressure or from danger.
What are some of the
stresses that face teens?
School demands and frustrations
Negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
Changes in their bodies
Problems with friends
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
Signs and symptoms of
stress include:
Feeling
depressed, edgy, guilty, tired, hostile, angry, anxious or irritable
Having
headaches and backaches
Eating too much or too little
Upset stomach, diarrhea, or
indigestion
Trouble sleeping
Laughing
or crying for no reason
Blaming
other people for bad things that happen to you
Avoiding other people
Only
seeing the down side of a situation
Feeling
like things that you used to enjoy aren't fun or are a burden
Resenting
other people or your responsibilities
Lip biting, nail nibbling, tooth grinding, palm sweating
Under too much pressure, many people wheeze, ache, sneeze, or break out in rashes
What doesn’t help with stress management?
Escaping
your problems by using drugs and alcohol. They make your situation more
complicated to deal with.
What
does help with stress management?
Eat good meals
Drink less caffeine
Get enough sleep
Exercise regularly
Take
a bath or shower
Avoid too many changes at once
Set reasonable goals for yourself
Learn relaxation exercises
Rehearse and practice situations, which cause stress
Break large tasks into smaller, more attainable tasks
Decrease negative self-talk
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
Make
a list of what's causing your stress
Take
control of what you can and give yourself a break
Don't
commit yourself to things you can't or don't want to do
Get involved in extracurricular activities at school or in your community
Take
a walk outside to clear your head and relax for a while
Reach out for help when you need it; call
a friend, family member, or use one of these resources:
National
Youth Crisis Hotline
800-448-4663
National Adolescent Suicide
Hotline
800-621-4000
Crisis Intervention Center
800-333-4444
Help Now Hotline
800-435-7609
National
Adolescent Suicide Hotline
800-621-4000
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Teen Health Issues Web site: http://health4teens.org |
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How
parents and teachers can help teens:
Monitor if stress is affecting teen’s health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings
Listen carefully to teens and watch for overloading
Learn and model stress management skills
Support involvement in
sports and other pro-social activities
Books:
“The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective Families” by Stephen
R. Covey Foreword by Sandra
Merrill Covey
“Family Guide to Emotional
Wellness” edited by Patrick Fanning and Matthew McKay
Websites:
Source:
The American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry