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Cielo Vista Church
3585 N. Lee Trevino
El Paso, TX 79936
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September 2010 |
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Stress has become a way of life for most American teenagers. They're bombarded from every angle with pressures and expectations, leaving too little time for unwinding and resting. When Group Magazine asked 20,000 Christian teenagers about their top needs, the third most common response was "I need help managing or dealing with the stresses in my life." Pennsylvania youth minister Jana Snyder said of today's kids, "I sense an overwhelming burden to be successful and to be busy doing 100 different things every day."
In a recent Associated Press/MTV survey, 13- to 17-year-olds said school is their main worry. Stress, not relationships, is the hottest topic of conversation at school, says one teenager. Another adds, "I'm just really overwhelmed. I even compete with my parents about who's stressing more."
Child psychiatrist Thomas McCormack suggests several ways that parents can help ease teenagers' academic stress. First, discuss your expectations. Assure kids that you're proud of them when they try their best, no matter the outcome. Second, stay involved. Show interest in your teenagers' classes, extracurricular activities, and schedules. Be available to help or talk when needed. Finally, watch for sudden declines in academic performance. These could indicate a learning disorder or emotional distress (such as depression and anxiety) that requires professional evaluation.
Read on to discover more insights about helping teenagers manage life's stress.
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Some stress is inevitable, but stressing out is optional. Here are some expert tips that teenagers-and parents-can use to manage a stressful situation:
* Pray, turning your worries over to God.
* Confide your stressed-out feelings to a trusted adult.
* Exercise to release tension and to benefit from your body's endorphins.
* Get enough sleep to reduce irritability.
* Eat regularly. Avoid junk food and sugar, as well as "emotional eating."
* Avoid caffeine-it can increase anxiety
* Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs.
* Take a bath or shower.
* Pause and do some deep breathing.
* Keep a journal to help process your experiences and feelings.
* Find a new hobby to enjoy together.
* Remember the worst-case scenario. For test anxiety, kids could ask, "What's the worst thing that can happen if I bomb the test?"
* Break large tasks into little pieces.
* Refuse to demand perfection from yourself or others.
* Learn to say "no" to excessive activities and unrealistic expectations.
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Here's a snapshot of teenagers' experiences with stress:
* Teenage girls are 55% more likely than teenage boys to say they pressure themselves to get good grades in school. And less than half of the pressured group of girls believes their parents realize how stressed out they are. (ronicohensandler.com)
* Although one major study found that kids from middle-income households experience more stress than their peers, another found that affluent kids are the most stressed, for fear of "falling back." (AP/MTV; New York Times/CBS)
* An estimated 10% of teenagers suffer from an anxiety disorder. (teenhelp.com)
* Highly stressed teenagers are twice as likely as other teenagers to smoke, drink, get drunk, and use illegal drugs. (alcoholism.about.com)
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Walking the halls of Warsaw High School as a 33-year-old sophomore for two weeks was pretty overwhelming at points. I faced fears and insecurities that I haven't felt since I was in high school myself (back when Michael Jackson and mullets were cool). However, I gained a newfound respect for kids and the pressures they face. Here are a few observations I made:
