Dealing with stress
There are a hundred and one stressful situations for today’s modern teenagers that it’s a wonder any of them manage to survive past thirteen let alone consider: exams, employment or moving into a place of their own. The ability to cope with what life has to through at us is, ironically, often the preserve of gnarly old adults who have ‘been there and done that’ much to the annoyance of any young people standing within ear-shot.
One of the key areas where teens tend to suffer most is from thinking that they’re the only people in the world to experience what they’re going through. Typically: school, hormones and members of the opposite sex, do little to assist your average young person but recognising what makes a stressful situation can often help to alleviate some of the pressure. Below are three top tips as to how to cope with stress if you’re a teenager and from student life to home life, remembering that you’re not alone is key to keeping happy and well.
A problem shared is a problem halved – this old adage may sound as cheesy as a packet of Wotsits but it does actually help. Just having a chat with someone that you trust can often make troubles drift away as quickly as they arrived and as soon as you begin to explain a situation you’ll be able to physically feel the weight lift from your shoulders. Note the word ‘trust’ above. Don’t think that telling the world your problems through Facebook or Twitter is going to give you just positive feedback. Face to face chats with: close friends, teachers or members of your family, are the way forward and you’ll often find that once things are out in the open then life feels just that little bit more clearer.
Keep up your energy levels
Everyone gets more moody and irritable when they’re tired so keeping up energy levels is a great way to build up resilience to stress. If you feel like things are getting on top of you then take a moment to think about how you’re feeling. Are you knackered from over work? Have you been going out until dawn and then waking up early? Are you surviving on a diet of Coke, Maccy-ds and KFC? Give your mind and your body a rest once in a while and then see if you’re still feeling under pressure. Sometimes all that’s needed is a lie down on a comfy couch or a walk around the block. Whatever you need to get yourself feeling a bit fresher is going to make dealing with matters a whole lot easier.
Take your mind off the situation
No matter how old you are, there are always loads of new things to do that present a different spin on life. If an essay or an issue with friends is getting you down then taking yourself away from the situation allows you to look at the problem in a fresh light. For example: going for a run, playing a guitar or just reading a book, are all ideal ways to put things into perspective. It’s really easy to say ‘just relax’ when a friend is stressing over something but this is often the best advice. If you can work out what makes you relaxed then this is an incredible asset and learning how to step away from a problem will ensure that situations don’t get too far out of hand.
