Teen Help for Stress Management

Parents often think their teens aren’t truly struggling with stress. After all, teens aren’t preoccupied with paying the mortgage, keeping up bills, juggling the needs of a partner and children, or concerns at work. But teens today struggle with stress just as much as their parents.  Your problems are different, but it is still stress. If not addressed in a healthy way, it can take toll on a teen’s mental wellbeing. Have your parents asked you, “What do you have to be stressed about?” Or said, “You can’t feel stressed. You’re still a kid!” How can you identify what contributes to your stress and cope healthily with the stress you’re feeling? How can you involve your parents in your efforts to reduce your stress?

What does stress look like in teens?

Stress is a normal reaction to the challenges, events, and pressures we face. As you know, teens face different challenges and pressures than most adults. Your parents and other adults may be struggling with difficult decisions for the family, having looming deadlines at work, or maybe struggling within their relationships with each other or with friends. Do you know what stress might look like for a teenager? You may feel pressure at times and may identify it for what it is. But there may be other signs of stress that you do not recognize for what they are such as:

•       Difficulty sleeping
•       Decreased energy levels
•       Feeling exhausted, despite getting a good night of rest
•       Feeling on edge much of the time
•       Headaches
•       Tightness in the jaw
•       Changes in eating habits
•       Teeth grinding, both when awake and when asleep
•       Sweaty hands
•       Racing heart
•       Feeling overwhelmed
•       Losing motivation
•       Being quick to anger
•       Emotional outbursts

While stress is considered a normal and healthy response to challenging situations, too much stress can lead to anxiety and depression.

Causes of stress in teens

Understanding the root cause of stress in your life may help you better understand the path to take to worth through and resolve that stress. Some of the ten most common causes of stress in teens include the following.

1.     The demands and pressures of school
2.     Changes at home, within the family
3.     Peer pressure
4.     Difficulties with friends and romantic relationships
5.     Patterns of negative thinking
6.     Mental health and wellness
7.     Sexuality and sexual orientation
8.     Body image and self-esteem
9.     Overpacked schedule of activities and obligations
10. Loss, which can stem from a range of areas of a teen’s life

Getting through stress and stressful moments is not always something that a teen can do independently. Getting the correct type of help can make a world of difference. Let’s look at a few coping techniques for each of the most common causes of teen stress.

The demands and pressures of school

School can be the number one cause of stress for teens, even for the best students. If you’re struggling to keep up with the workload or with the subjects you’re covering in class, there are a few things that you can try. Speak with your school counselor and your teachers. Ask for extra time to complete assignments or to take tests. You may also be able to get another student to study with you and tutor you.

Changes at home or within the family

Whether divorce, marriage, siblings moving out, or a change in the family’s financial situation, teens can be acutely aware of these changes. Speak with your parents about how these changes are impacting you. Ask if counseling is an option for you and your family. Counseling can introduce you to a new way of approaching stress within the home. 

Peer pressure

More than a cliché, peer pressure can see teens turning to drugs, and alcohol and engaging in sexual activity before they are ready. Healthy coping mechanisms, learned through various therapeutic methods, can help teens know their own minds and stand up to peer pressure. Being secure in who you are and having a healthy self-esteem can also help teens stand up to peer pressure.

Difficulties with friends and romantic relationships

Stress due to strife with your friends or struggles with your romantic partner can be overwhelming. Your parents may be able to offer great advice, as can your therapist. Communication is such an important skill to learn at any age.

Patterns of negative thinking

If you’re getting caught up in negative thinking patterns, simply pause. Identify your negative thoughts and try to replace them with more optimistic thoughts. Mindfulness can also prove helpful. 

Mental health and wellness

Working with your therapist to help address your mental wellness is an essential step for any stressed teen. Allowing your parents, teachers, and coaches to help you through some of the more challenging days is also important.

Sexual orientation

Be honest with your parents about who you are. Parents should offer unconditional support and love. Join local teen support groups for others who have had struggles with their sexual orientation. Your therapist can also help equip you with the mental tools you will need as you face adolescence and early adulthood as someone who may not identify as straight.

Body image and self-esteem

How you feel about yourself can be a huge source of stress for any teen. Positive body image and self-esteem can be found with the right type of help. Speak with your parents and therapists about how you feel about yourself. If you struggle with how your body looks, speak up and be open. The more honest you are, the better help you’ll be able to get.

Overpacked schedule of activities and obligations

Be honest with your parents about where you may be able to simplify your schedule. Relaxation is vital in resetting stress and maintaining good mental health. Can you drop one of your sports? Can you temporarily put on your piano lessons? 

Loss, which can stem from a range of areas of a teen’s life

Perhaps the pandemic has meant a loss of normalcy and a loss of family or friends. Maybe you had to move recently and lost your home, friends, and familiar surroundings? Learning healthy coping mechanisms for loss can help keep the trauma of loss from overtaking. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help, as can trying to establish a new sense of normalcy after loss. It can be beneficial for some teens to step away from the routine of life and away from the surroundings contributing to their stress levels. Liahona Academy can offer therapeutic interventions and options to help teens learn to cope with their stress in healthy ways.