In this article Ryan offers four tips to help teenagers cope with stress.
Teenagers are dealing with a lot of struggles. There are times when high school feels like the way life will be, and high school is unpleasant for a lot of people.
One of the most amazing things that happens to everyone as they get older is they realize just how different high school is from the rest of the world. But of course, while you’re a teenager it’s hard to see it that way, because your thoughts, feelings, and emotions are so real, and you’re experiencing all of these different feelings for the first time.
Being a teenager is definitely stressful. That’s why the more you can work on your own stress management now, the better you’ll find high school and the happier you’ll be as you get older in life.
How to Manage Stress as a Teenager
The following are just some of the ways that you can find yourself better able to control your stress and enjoying your day to day life more. Remember, being a teenager is always going to be hard, but the more you’re ready to take action against your stress, the faster it will go and the more happiness you’ll fit in as a result.
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Set Goals – It all starts with goal setting. Goal setting may not seem like a big deal, but if you set realistic, long term goals, then you’ll have something you’re always working towards – something that will make you happy when you reach it. Try to start setting goals for things that will take place as you get older, like learning a new language, learning to play the guitar, or even trying out some type of art form. It’s not necessarily that important what you do. What matters is that the goals are important to you, realistic, and till take years to accomplish. If you’re working towards the future, the stress of the present will bother you less.
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Exercise – You’re young. You’re fit. Exercise may seem like something you don’t need. But exercise isn’t about staying healthy. Studies have shown that exercise – especially daily jogging – can actually release chemicals in your brain that are as powerful as some anxiety drugs. Exercise is probably the most effective stress relief tool you have. Whether you’re playing a sport with friends or going for a run after school, do something active to help reduce some of the way that stress bothers you.
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Surround Yourself with Positive People – A lot of teenagers are negative. Even if they’re your best friends, negativity rubs off. People that spend a lot of time with negative, hateful, or angry people often start to feel negative, hateful, angry, or stressed themselves. You don’t have to dump your friends, but be aware of the people around you. The ones that are supportive and happy themselves are going to make you happier too.
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Stay Busy – It sounds like a typical parent thing telling you to get off of Facebook and Twitter and go spend time outside, but the truth is that another thing that helps reduce stress is basically living life. When you go out and do fun things and create good memories, you replace stressful memories, and that reduces stress. So you can post an update online once in a while and text your friends, but you need to make sure you’re also spending time with other people and doing things that create memories that you’ll keep with you.
You’re a teenager. You’re going to be under some stress. You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to feel like things can’t always change. You may not know who you want to be, what you want to do, etc., and in some cases you may have a hard time being happy with yourself.
These are normal, and they’re all part of growing up. Sometimes it feels like you’re older than you are, and everyone went through the exact same stage when they were younger, in some way or another. But if you can reduce the amount of stress you experience, you’ll also be able to get through this time period better and have happier memories as a result. Controlling all stress may be tough, but even a little bit can make a big difference.
About the Author: Ryan Rivera runs a website about living with stress and anxiety. For tips and information related to stopping anxiety, visit www (dot) calmclinic (dot) com.