Teen Stress: Helping Your Child Manage Anxiety
Stress can be a normal human reaction to change that involves mental, physical, or emotional strain. Teens often encounter many sources of stress, including school, homework, sports, and other activities. In addition, witnessing parental stress from their parents may be a cause of stress in teens. When they experience too much stress without having healthy coping skills, it can contribute to poor sleep, a suppressed immune system, irritability, sadness, physical aches and pains, and more. You may help your teen manage stress by encouraging them to exercise, helping them schedule plenty of time for sleep, promoting a healthy diet, supporting them in making time for friends and hobbies, and ensuring they have someone trustworthy to talk to in times of stress. You may also benefit from speaking with an online therapist regarding your concerns.
What is stress?
It can be thought of as the human body’s response to any situation that requires action or further attention. While stress is experienced by everyone at times, too much stress can have detrimental effects on physical and emotional health.
Causes of teen stress
For teens, there may frequently be something new happening in their lives, and they may not have much control over various aspects of their lives. Often, teens and adolescents are told what they need to do by teachers, parents, coaches, and other authority figures, which can result in very little autonomy paired with many responsibilities.
From one school year to the next, the general tendency is for things to become more complex and challenging and for responsibilities to grow and become more demanding. Leaving school and starting college and adult life can also be a huge stressor. Teens may experience pressure to do well in school, to graduate, and to find a suitable career or go on to a good college. They may also experience pressure as a part of sports teams or other after-school activities and academic programs. Some teens may also work part-time after school and on the weekends. Volunteering could be another source of pressure. In addition, changing social dynamics, family conflicts, and the challenge of determining who they are can add to their stress.
According to the 2022 Mission Australia report, teens were most stressed about things like the environment, discrimination, mental health, school challenges, relationship challenges, and more.
In addition, many teens fail to outwardly express their stress or manage it in healthy ways, which can add to their stress and begin to compound.
How stress and anxiety could be affecting your teen
Stress can bring with it a variety of negative health impacts and can impact physical health. For instance, it can contribute to a decreased immune system response, increasing their chances of getting sick and potentially having to miss school. Stress can also affect your teen’s ability to get high-quality, restful sleep at night, which may be much needed during these years of growth and development. Additional effects of stress may include:
Physical aches and pains
Racing heart
Exhaustion
Headaches
Digestive issues
Tense Muscles
Irritability
Panic attacks
Sadness
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, stress can have other effects on the mind and body, increasing a person’s susceptibility to illness and risk of depression. In cases of severe or chronic stress, a teen may be admitted to a children’s hospital, depending on their age. However, there are evidence-based strategies that may help your teen reduce their stress before it gets to that point.
How to help your teen manage stress
It can be vital to help your teen learn healthy coping skills to employ when they feel stressed, so they don’t turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol or other substances. They are likely to experience stress throughout their lives, and having the skills to deal with and cope with it healthily can prevent many of the negative effects discussed in the previous section of this article.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
Encourage exercise to release pressure
One healthy way to handle stress can be exercising. This could be as simple as taking walks, doing yoga, following along with online workout videos, or playing sports with friends. Any form of movement that increases the heart rate and helps your teen remain active can be helpful.
Help them improve their sleep hygiene, especially before exams
Ensuring your teenager is getting enough sleep can also be beneficial. You might encourage them to create a relaxing bedtime routine to help their body relax or help them schedule their day effectively so that they have enough time for high-quality rest.
Prepare healthy meals and snacks after school
Eating nutritious meals and snacks can also reduce stress. Balanced meals with lots of fruits and vegetables can promote good physical and mental health.
Help them explore hobbies outside of social media
Aside from engaging in their regular responsibilities, it can also be important for teens to have time for fun that doesn’t involve screen time. Spending time with friends and engaging in hobbies can be excellent ways to reduce stress.
Be someone teens can talk to
Finally, it can be crucial for teenagers to have someone trustworthy to talk to about their stress and any other mental health concerns they’re experiencing. This could be you as a parent, a school counselor, or a licensed therapist. A strong support system can go a long way toward creating a strong sense of well-being.
Therapy may help you address your teen’s stress
If you’re a parent of a stressed-out teen and you’re feeling unprepared, you may be feeling stressed yourself as you look for the best ways to give your child the support they need. Therapy can be a wonderful resource that allows you to express your own feelings, learn strategies to handle stress, and discuss potential ways to support your teen through this stressful time in their life. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to attend in-office therapy sessions, or if it’s not convenient for you to drive to a therapist’s office, you may wish to consider trying online therapy, as you can get help from the comfort of your home at a time that works for you.
Effectiveness of online therapy for managing teen stress and anxiety
According to this study, online therapy can be particularly helpful and effective in treating anxiety and the effects of stress. If you’re experiencing these or any other mental health concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out and get the care you deserve.
Takeaway
Although stress can be a healthy and normal reaction to change, too much mental, emotional, and physical strain can lead to harmful effects. Teens often experience stress from a variety of sources, and it can contribute to physical complaints like headaches, digestive issues, low energy, and trouble sleeping, as well as emotional concerns like sadness, anxiety, and irritability. Helping your teenager employ healthy coping skills in response to stress can be a valuable tool that they can use throughout their lives. You might promote a healthy diet and plenty of exercise and help your teen schedule their days so that they have plenty of time for family and friends, hobbies, and sleep, in addition to their everyday responsibilities. You might also make sure they have an adult they feel they can talk to, such as a school counselor or a licensed therapist.
Supporting your teenager can be a source of stress in and of itself, and if you’re concerned and having a hard time managing this stress, you may benefit from online therapy. With BetterHelp, you can find a therapist who can work with you to help you understand stress, including the body’s stress response and ways to help a teen who is experiencing stress. Take the first step toward getting support and reach out to BetterHelp today.
Below are commonly asked questions on this topic:
How do social media, school pressure, and other stressors affect teenagers?
Signs of stress parents may notice in teens might include trouble sleeping, heightened irritability, pain or body aches, GI distress, headaches, feelings of anxiety, and feelings of depression. Public health information from the CDC also suggests that nightmares, the worsening of physical and mental health problems, changes in appetite, and other concerns can be a response to stress. When people experience stress, the sympathetic nervous system contributes to the fight-or-flight response, which typically causes the body to release stress hormones. Excessive stress could lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, faster aging, various mental health conditions, and ongoing trouble sleeping. The good news? There are ways to stimulate the relaxation response - which, opposite to the stress response, is characterized by markers like lower blood pressure and a slower breathing rate - in the body, too. Examples of ways to prompt the relaxation response in the body include but aren’t limited to breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Is it normal for a teenager to be stressed about homework and exams?
Yes. People can experience stress at any age, including teens, whether that is low-level stress or severe and ongoing stress. Many teens experience stress, and in fact, it is more common than not. So, what can parents do to help children and teens? Suggestions for parents who want to help teens manage stress from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website include but aren’t limited to:
Model healthy ways to relieve stress by using stress management skills yourself.
Monitor teens to see if stress may be affecting their health, behavior, feelings, or thoughts.
Listen carefully when your teen speaks, and watch out for overloading.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also suggests that children and teens may benefit from taking a break from stressful situations, decreasing negative self-talk, working through perfectionism, learning assertiveness, and more.
How can a teen live stress-free?
Statistically speaking, teen stress is high; many would even say it impacts most teens. According to the American Institute of Stress, individuals between the ages 15-29 and 30-49 have the highest stress levels - specifically, 64% and 65%. Worry is also an issue among both of these age groups, coming in at 50% and 52%. However, it is possible for parents and professionals to help teens manage their stress. A stress-free life may be unrealistic, but finding healthy coping strategies to manage stress is not.
Homework: Help your teen develop stress management skills
Stress management skills may include physical activity, time management, limiting screen time, positive self-talk, social support, allowing oneself to spend time on hobbies, journaling, art, meditation, breathing exercises, and time outdoors.
Consider therapy for stressed children and adolescents
Therapy can help people manage stress, including teens. Working with a therapist may help a teen reframe negative thoughts to more positive thoughts, build confidence, manage symptoms of a mental illness, and more. If your teen may benefit from working with a therapist, consider an online therapy platform like TeenCounseling.com or look for someone who works in child and adolescent psychology in your local area.
What kind of problems do teenagers have?
Young people face a number of different challenges that may cause significant stress or heighten their stress level. Based on research, here are some of the concerns that we know affect teens today:
Gun violence and school shootings
Climate change
Rising suicide rates
Separation/deportation of immigrants and migrant families
Money and finances
The economy
Sexual harassment
Please contact one of the following hotlines if you need help:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial or text 988 for assistance in English. You can also text “AYUDA” to 988 for help in Spanish.
Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741.
When teens experience these things, they aren’t alone. Teen mental health problems have always been serious and have increased in recent years. 71% of parents say that the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of their child, with 69% saying it’s the worst thing that’s happened to them. Alongside these, work and school, peer pressure, romantic relationships, and bullying are other concerns teens may face. It is not uncommon for teens and young adults to worry about the future. With all of this in mind, stress management skills are crucial for teens. It’s never too soon to discuss stress, stress management skills, and related topics relevant to teens. The goal to never feel stress is likely unrealistic, but learning how to cope as effectively as possible, and opening a discussion about the topic can be beneficial in this process. If you or your child needs support with stressful situations, negative thoughts, or finding ways to ease stress or reduce stress effectively, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
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