Stress is a natural reaction to the most difficult circumstances. At normal levels, it is healthy and even beneficial, but if it is excessive, it can have negative effects on physical, mental, emotional health and social life. Unfortunately, some experts argue that high tensions and poor development of stress management mechanisms are "culturally rooted" among adolescents. Young people can experience very stressful situations, but they don't know how to deal with them. If you are a teenager and you want to reduce excessive stress, you need to identify the factors that trigger it, take steps to help you manage it better and improve the overall quality of your life.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Recognizing Stress
Step 1. Accept that stress is natural and inevitable
The feeling of stress is connected to the "fight or flight" reaction that humans have been experiencing ever since the first ancestors had to escape the aggression of macairontids (saber-toothed tigers). Although the tensions of modern society generally do not endanger people's lives, the body reacts in a similar way.
When you are in a potentially difficult or dangerous situation, the body produces hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which alter physical balance in order to increase energy and focus. In small doses, these physical alterations help perform certain tasks effectively. However, if you are excessively or frequently stressed, they can jeopardize your health
Step 2. Identify immediate symptoms of stress
How would you explain to someone how you feel when you are stressed - for example, when you realize that the essay you haven't started yet needs to be delivered tomorrow? Heart palpitations? Sweaty hands? Trouble breathing? Inability to concentrate or, conversely, very strong concentration? Each of us reacts in our own way in the most stressful situations, but there are physical symptoms common to all.
- Hormones produced during a stress reaction can cause various changes, including increased heart rate and respiratory rate, increased blood pressure and accelerated metabolism, increased blood flow in major muscle groups (arms and legs, for example), dilation of the pupils (to see more clearly), intense sweating (to cool the body), energy discharge due to the release of stored glucose (the body's fuel).
- These changes are natural and beneficial if they allow you to focus and complete an important task (such as your term paper). However, the fact of constantly feeling stressed can have negative consequences on the body.
Step 3. Identify the symptoms of stress in the long run
In the short term, once the burst of energy produced by stress passes, you may feel more tired or irritable. If you are subjected to constant tension, over time you will begin to notice more significant changes in the way you act and in your mood.
- Among adolescents, the long-term effects of excessive stress can include: anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive problems, decreased immune response (plus colds and illnesses), persistent moodiness, difficulty getting along with others, substance abuse narcotics and self-harm.
- Essentially, if you are frequently stressed out - for example, because your parents are divorcing or you missed the school year - you may continually feel drained of your physical and emotional resources.
Step 4. Recognize stress through others
For some people, the signs of severe stress are subtle. Others ignore them or deny them on purpose or simply attribute them to another cause, including the flu, insomnia, etc. However, sometimes you can tell if you are stressed by observing how others react to your behavior. If they treat you in an unusual way or tell you that you look different, it may be that your changes are due to a tension overload.
- Friends or family members may tell you that you seem more distant or disinterested, more fickle, irritable, unpredictable or aggressive, that you "blame yourself" for every little thing, that you look tired or sick, that you don't have as much fun or that "you don't seem like anymore. yourself".
- Use the clues provided by the people around you to understand if you are too stressed, what causes it and what you can do about it.
Step 5. Consider the most common factors that fuel stress
Sometimes, adults are used to saying that children and adolescents "are carefree" because they do not have major responsibilities to take care of, such as mortgage and insurance payments. However, the teenage years are an understandably stressful time for many boys (and girls) who, exposed to a series of rapid changes and the emergence of their individuality, are necessarily exposed to constant tension.
Stress for teens usually comes from schoolwork, peer pressure, romantic relationships, family problems, sports and other physical activities, body image perception, bullying, discrimination, drug abuse and too high expectations
Step 6. List the most important stressors
The way in which tension is fueled is very personal, so it would be a great idea to take the time to work out the causes. Grab a notepad or turn on your computer and write down all the nerve-wracking activities, situations and people. It is a kind of diary to fill in with a certain regularity: you just have to write down how you feel. In fact, it's an excellent way to deal with stress on your own.
Stress specialists usually use the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. This is a list in which the 43 most common stressors have been classified according to their severity, each of which has a score. By selecting the ones that affect your daily life and adding up the points, you can derive a reference value for your overall stress level
Part 2 of 4: Coping with Stress
Step 1. Avoid unnecessary stress
In some situations, stress is unavoidable, but in others it is possible to work around it. Once you've identified the causes, you can start devising ways to ignore, modify, or prevent unnecessary tension.
If you are stressed by being late all the time, implement some strategies to be more punctual. If a friend unnerves you, reconsider your relationship. If you are under tension every time someone writes you a comment on social networks, don't spend too much time in the virtual world. Check what you can control to limit unnecessary stress
Step 2. Anticipate the stress
Avoiding tension is one way to proactively react to stress, but there is another solution which is to prepare to "nip in the bud" everything that feeds it. If you approach potential stressors with a more assertive attitude, you can contain and limit their effects before they affect you. For example, try:
- Get organized. If you live in clutter, you will be much more stressed, especially if you can never find what you need when you need it.
- Learn to say "no". Those who are highly stressed often take on too many commitments and cannot keep up. Know your limits.
- Take the time to relax. When reducing stressful commitments, try to devote at least some of your free time to enjoyable and relaxing activities.
- Improve your problem solving skills. If you can solve a potentially stressful problem before it becomes a stressful one, you will save yourself a lot of time and effort.
- Surround yourself with people who support you. Spend more time with friends and family who show you understanding, sensitivity, and support during the most stressful times in life.
Step 3. Change environment
Sometimes, a simple change of scenery can positively affect the perception of stress. Take a walk, breathe some fresh air, find a new place to eat, discover a different place to meet with friends.
- Once you have identified the most stressful places and contexts, try to figure out how you can avoid them or limit the time you spend in these circumstances.
- Sometimes you can also make a situation more liveable, for example, by listening to some soothing songs, diffusing a pleasant scent or tidying up.
Step 4. Seek help when you need it
Stress is as real as the negative effects it can have. Often, by talking to someone, you have the option to manage or even delete them. Talk to your parents, a friend or teacher you trust, a professional counselor or psychotherapist. There are many people who want (and can) help you. You just have to let them.
- If stress leads you to consider engaging in self-harming practices, talk to someone about it immediately. Call emergency services or a telephone listening service. Don't be too proud and don't be afraid to ask for the help you need.
- If you know someone who is thinking about harming themselves due to stress, ask for help for them. Act like a friend.
Part 3 of 4: Thinking Profitable
Step 1. Outline an "action plan" for dealing with stress
Consider all the stressors you have listed as opponents to "take out", one by one. You won't defeat them all, but you can get rid of many of them with methodical and careful planning.
- Start with the items at the bottom of the list - the easiest stressors to deal with. For example, if you are stressed by being late for school or work, develop a strategy to be quick as you prepare to go out.
- As you progress, it will become more and more difficult. You won't be able to eliminate all the stressful things from your life. For example, you can't help being apprehensive about math grades. However, you have the opportunity to improve your academic performance, perhaps by taking private lessons.
Step 2. Relax your mind
By engaging in something that calms you, soothes you and soothes your soul, you will be able to relieve tension. Do this when you feel stressed, but also as a preventative measure, so that you don't get mentally tired, for example, before an important exam.
Everyone acts differently when they have to mentally relax. Among the most common alternatives, try reading, laughing, training yourself to think positively, practicing deep breathing exercises, meditating, praying, or doing anything else that calms you down and helps you ease the tension
Step 3. Do something relaxing
Often to calm the mind it is necessary to calm the body as well. In this way, you can manage numerous factors that fuel stress, such as a romantic breakup or a losing streak of your basketball team. For example, try:
- Take a bath;
- Listen to some relaxing music;
- Paint;
- Practice yoga;
- Take up a new hobby or pursue your favorite passion;
- Go out. Take a walk. Breathe in the fresh air deeply. Clear your mind and relax your body.
Part 4 of 4: Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle
Step 1. Get more sleep
According to some studies, most people (including teenagers) don't get enough sleep, and sleep deprivation can cause a variety of physical and emotional problems. Among the many negative effects, the lack of rest increases the production of the stress hormone, even before becoming a real source of stress.
- Everyone has different needs, but on average, teens should get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Try to rest the same amount of hours every night, falling asleep and waking up at the same times every day (even on weekends and during the summer!).
- By sleeping adequately, you will be more focused, improve your mood and be able to deal with everything that stresses you.
Step 2. Eat healthier
Excessive stress causes negative effects on the body, leading you to eat poorly. By following a healthy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, you will be physically able to cope with daily tensions, you will be able to decrease stress hormones and increase those that counter it.
People often snack on high-sugar snacks or eat junk foods to comfort themselves when stressed. This eating behavior temporarily solves the problem, but offers no benefit over time. The best choice is to improve health conditions through a balanced diet and to deal directly with stress with the appropriate techniques
Step 3. Train regularly
Exercise is not only good for your muscles and cardiovascular system, it also helps reduce tension. In addition, it allows you to distract yourself and calm down as it encourages the production of endorphins, which help to lift the mood in a natural way.
