Stress Management
By Tyler Miller
Definition of stress
a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.
Examples of teen stress
- Academic stress
- Social stress
- Financial stress
- Stress due to family problems
- Romantic relationships
- Stress due to physical or physiological changes
- Unhealthy competition
- Low self esteem
- Traumatic events
- Changes in routine
Positive ways to manage stress
- Eat regularly and exercise regularly
- Stay away from alcohol, drugs, caffeine
- Always stay close to people who bring positivity in you
- Develop a hobby, which can help you feel good and relax your mind
- Learn meditation and relaxation techniques
- Don’t over stress yourself with perfection
- Make your mind strong and try to avoid any negative or conflicting thoughts
- Always smile and have a positive attitude
- Proper sleep is very important and under no circumstance should be avoided
- Find out the causes of your stress and try to be proactive in dealing with them
Negative ways to manage stress
- Self-Harm/ Suicide
- Alcoholism
- Caffeine
- Compulsive spending
- Emotional eating
- Drugs
- Isolating yourself from society
- Violence
- Blaming
- Yelling at others/ Anger
Effects of stress
Physical signs
- Not being hungry
- Feeling sick
- Gaining or losing weight
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Getting lost in thoughts and conversations
- Finding hard to concentrate and stay focused
- Making errors in judgements
- Having difficulty in remembering things
- Getting irrational and confused
- Having trouble organizing and planning things
- Seeming nervous or anxious
- Withdrawing from friendship groups and activities
- Eating more comfort food
- Sleeping for a long time
- Wanting to be by herself more than usual
- Eating less
- Refusing to go to school or college
- Crying
- Having less energy than usual
- Having emotional ups and downs for no reason
- Drinking more caffeine products and taking over-the-counter painkillers
- Least care about appearance
- Being aggressive
- Behaving differently in relation with parents
Statistics on teen stress
- 31% of teens reported feeling overwhelmed
- 30% reported feeling sad or depressed, as a result of their stress
- 36% of teens report feeling tired
- 23% report skipping a meal due to stress
Facts on teen stress
- Stress has been called “the silent killer” and can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat
- While it is a myth that stress can turn hair gray, stress can cause hair loss. In fact, telogen effluvium (hair loss) can begin up to three months after a stressful event
- Stress can make acne worse. Researchers say stress-related inflammation rather than a rise is sebum (the oily substance in skin) is to blame
- Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and suicide