Teenagers and Stress

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine but it’s true. Children do experience stress; especially teenagers.

Teenage stress can come from almost anywhere. Whether it is because their boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with them or because they have had an acne breakout on their face, the teen years can include real stress. To a teenager they can seem like the end of the world even though to an adult they sound like such little things.

A child can be as susceptible to stress as an adult. It’s just that stress can be caused by different factors. In the adult, it could be the loss of a job or the big promotion that they just received. Even though teenagers will not be experiencing these types of things for a while that doesn’t mean they don’t have sources of stress.

It could be that that big fight they had with their best friend or even the development of acne could cause the level of stress that an adult would have when they experience a loss of a child. In comparison, these things would normally not be related, but the priorities of a teenager are nothing like the priorities of the adult. So something than seems small to the adult, like getting rid of acne can be a huge issue for the teenager.

Additionally, teenagers tend to be hard on themselves; perhaps looking for perfection in their grades or at sport and this can produce enormous stress in itself. The negative way they may see themselves or talk about things does not help with stress either.

Stress management skills should be learned by teenagers as well as adults. Being able to control one’s stress level can improve one’s health and prevent health related problems, such as heart disease, later in their life.

What can a teen do to reduce stress?

Find a hobby. When a person enjoys doing something, their level of stress will become lower. So becoming involved in sports or art or another hobby can work wonders for a teenager’s stress level. Other things that a teenager could do to help reduce their stress level are to improve their eating habits and to get a regular amount of exercise. They also need to learn how to relax.

Teenagers may have quite busy schedules. They can hold part-time jobs, play sports and basically be involved in just about anything. Learning to relax can be of great benefit to them. A teenager may just need to take a break from everything sometimes, just like an adult. Setting aside regular me time helps a lot.

Although they are not yet adults, it is important to remember that teens do have stress. There are many ways a teenager can be helped to lower stress levels with a parents help. These include:

1. Listen carefully to your teenager. They may or may not intend to but they are giving you signs. If you observe things becoming too much regardless of whether it is sports or social activities try to gently step in before it gets out of control.
2. Be supportive of your teenager. Help them to foster interest in a wide range of activities like social groups or sports.
3. Lead by example. If you exercise stress management yourself, you are setting a good example for your teenager. They will take note, even if you think that they aren’t.

In the end, help your child by supporting them in any way that you can. Because we are adults we generally deal with stress better. A teenager may find that the stress can be too overwhelming and that they don’t know how to handle it, which can lead to even more of a dangerous situation.

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