Signs Of Stress In Teens And How To Cope
More than ever before, teenagers are reporting high stress levels. The Covid-19 pandemic increased stress or brought new stressors to the table for many people, including for teenagers. According to recent statistics published by the American Psychological Association (APA), 51% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 said the pandemic made "planning for their future feel impossible," with half of these teenagers saying that the pandemic "severely disrupted their plans for the future."
Although for some people pandemic-related stress may have waned, others may still be experiencing the effects of anxiety from the pandemic. Chronic stress can have consequences, including for teens. So, what's stress, and what are the signs of it? How do you cope with stress? Below, we’ll look at these questions and discuss techniques for reducing stress and ways to find help if you need it through resources such as therapy.
Definition and signs of stress
What is stress?
In the context of mental health, stress is defined by the American Psychological Association as "the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors." Often, when people think of stress, they think of the way that it impacts them on an emotional or psychological level. However, chronic stress can have a negative impact on your physical body and overall well being as well. Physical and emotional signs of stress or stress symptoms may include the following:- Changes in mood
- Trouble getting enough sleep
- Difficulty relaxing or winding down
- Trouble concentrating or focusing
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Body aches or soreness
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- A clenched jaw
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Suicidal ideation*
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Support is available 24/7.
How signs of stress can affect you
When stress is ongoing, it’s called chronic stress. Chronic stress can affect an individual’s physical and mental health and can lead to psychological strain. An individual who experiences chronic stress in their day-to-day life may experience physical and mental health effects. A chronically high-stress level may lead to the symptoms of stress listed above or cause an increased risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety disorder and depression; strained interpersonal relationships; and physical health consequences, such as an increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and other physical health problems. Your body’s response to stress may be different from someone else’s response.
Teen stress and anxiety management
Everyone may experience acute stress from time to time. Parents and teens can both experience stress, and witnessing parental stress may impact how teens cope. Learning how to cope with stressful situations or relieve stress in the family unit can be an integral part of taking care of your mind and body. Here are some relaxation techniques for managing stress in your daily life:
Breathing exercises for symptoms of stress
Deep breathing exercises can be a valuable tool to use for stress relief because you can use them almost anywhere and at any time you experience stress. Methods to try include alternate nostril breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, belly breathing, and box breathing.
Guided imagery or meditation to reduce anxiety or stress
Research shows that meditation can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and support mental health in teens in various ways. If you've never meditated before, starting with a guided meditation recording may be advantageous. It is also worth mentioning that meditation can help people with dyslexia have fewer general errors in reading. If you have a teenager with dyslexia, there are also resources for dyslexic teens that will help them cope with the stress they are facing.
Outdoor activities
You may find that spending time in nature helps when you’re feeling stressed. There are a number of outdoor activities you can choose, such as gardening or taking a relaxing walk in nature.
Positive affirmations
If feelings of stress are caused by pressure placed on someone by themselves or others (for example, the pressure to succeed in school), positive affirmations and thought reframing may be beneficial. Affirmations may help you put things into perspective and extend compassion to yourself when you feel stressed.
Physical activity
Regular exercise can be a valuable way to let off steam, and some find that it helps them relieve feelings of stress. Whether it's a walk outdoors, running, yoga, or a game of basketball, physical activity and just moving your body can be an effective outlet help with your blood flow and make a big difference in your stress and overall well-being.
Self-care and enough sleep
Self-care doesn’t require going to a spa or spending money on expensive skincare products, although these options may relieve stress and general tension. Instead, you might start by making sure that you're taking care of your baseline self-care needs by getting enough sleep (8-10 hours per night is recommended for teens aged 14-18), eating regular meals throughout the day, tending to healthy social connections, and avoiding excess caffeine.
Other activities for stress relief
Some also notice that activities like reading, journaling, and using aromatherapy are beneficial for stress relief. Complementary and alternative medicine may also help with stress management for teens. What works for one person might not work as well for another, so it's okay if it takes trial and error to find the most effective practices for you.
Talk to a mental health professional about signs of stress
When it comes to managing stress, know that you don’t have to face it alone. It may help to talk to a mental health professional, such as a licensed therapist or someone who practices child and adolescent psychiatry (see the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for in-office providers). This may be valuable in both giving you a place to vent and helping you find solutions when you feel stressed. If your stress is ongoing, if you suspect that you have too much stress, or if you just want to improve your tool kit for stress reduction, you can reach out for help from an online therapist.
Find a therapist or a mental health professional
Regardless of the sources of stress, whether because of school, work, dating and relationships, mental illness, a natural disaster, a health condition, family challenges, or anything else that's on your mind, you don't have to go through it alone. There are a number of different ways you can go about finding a counselor or therapist who is experienced with teen stress. You can search the web for counselors or therapists who work with teens living with stress and anxiety in your area, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a mental health professional at your next appointment, see what your health insurance plan covers, or sign up for a reputable online therapy platform, such as BetterHelp (for those aged 18+) or TeenCounseling (for those aged 13-19).
All of the providers at BetterHelp and TeenCounseling are licensed, and online therapy is typically more affordable than traditional in-person therapy or counseling services. Also, online therapy has been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy, including for anxiety and depression.
Takeaway
If you’re experiencing stress, you might find that an online therapist can provide you with solutions tailored to your specific concerns. Regardless of how you find a therapist, you deserve to have support and experience a sense of calm. Don't hesitate to reach out and take the first step toward meeting with an experienced counselor today.
How do I talk to my parents about feeling too stressed?
It may be helpful for you to communicate to your parent or guardian how stress is impacting you. If you feel like your stress is excessive, caregivers might be able to offer you strategies to help manage it, as well as encouragement and support. If you want to talk to your parents about your stress, it might be helpful to share the following:
The source of stress. Take a moment to think about what is causing your stress. It may be helpful to consider stress triggers, which are situations, locations, or people that substantially increase your stress level.
What you’re doing to manage the stress. Have you already tried to find a way to deal with your stress? How much has it helped? Discussing the strategies you have already tried with caregivers or others you approach for help is often beneficial.
Your stress’ impact. Let your parents or caregivers know how your heightened stress is impacting you. It may be helpful to talk about physical effects, like sleep disturbances and mental impacts, such as a worsened mood.
How does someone know if they are stressed or anxious?
Anxiety and stress are very similar concepts, but they are not the same thing. Stress usually occurs in response to an external cause and tends to reduce once the situation is resolved. In contrast, anxiety is usually internal. It often involves apprehension or dread that is not clearly linked to an external stressor. Anxiety typically interferes with a person’s quality of life and may be challenging to ignore. Unlike stress, which tends to reduce when the situation causing it is handled, anxiety is constant even if there is no immediate stressor. Generally, a person can differentiate between stress and anxiety by looking at the source of the stress and whether it resolves once external factors are addressed.
What are some relaxation strategies to manage symptoms of stress?
Managing stress often begins with ensuring you practice good basic self-care, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and getting enough sleep. You might also want to adopt some common relaxation strategies as go-to interventions when you feel the stress begin to rise. A few suggestions for relaxation techniques are listed below:
Deep breathing when feeling overwhelmed
One of the simplest ways to reduce stress is often considered one of the most effective. Taking slow, deep breaths activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for turning off the body’s physical reactions to stress, like a fast heart rate and muscle tension. Finding a quiet place to spend a few minutes breathing deeply can sometimes stop unpleasant sensations associated with stress in their tracks.
Guided imagery
Think about soothing places or scenes to help reduce intrusive thoughts and runaway worry. You can visualize anything you like if it brings you peace and happiness. You can also try apps or online solutions pre-loaded with calming scenes.
Mind-body exercises
Ancient practices like yoga, tai chi, and qigong combine controlled, gentle breathing with a series of postures or flowing movements. You might consider joining a local yoga class and doing exercises alongside others, which could boost your stress reduction even further.
Who can I talk to about my stress?
You may want to first consider bringing your stress levels to your parent or guardian’s attention. Many parents underestimate teenagers' stress, and it may be helpful to let them know what is causing your stress, how it impacts you, and what you have tried to do to address it. They might be able to recommend ways to handle your stress or help you figure out ways to reduce it. If you don’t feel comfortable approaching your parents about your stress, you can think about talking to another trusted adult, such as a teacher at school or a member of your extended family.
Why do I feel so stressed at school?
Many teenagers experience substantial stress surrounding school and academic success. Researchers continue to investigate the stress burdens faced by adolescents, but some common stressors are already well-defined. Some might seem obvious, such as the stress of achieving high grades or balancing academics, extracurriculars, and social life. Other stressors identified by researchers include excessively high expectations from teachers, waking up early in the morning, disagreements with other students and school staff, and a lack of freedom regarding personal expression. In response to this research, many schools are implementing programs to help students manage their stress levels. You may want to consider speaking to your school counselor or a trusted teacher to see if the school can help make your stress more manageable.
Is stress always bad?
Stress can have many adverse effects on both mental and physical health, but stress is not universally bad. It can motivate you to complete tasks or turn things in before deadlines pass. Stress is necessary for how your brain anticipates and responds to potential threats. Without it, humanity would not have been able to survive.
However, today’s stressors are substantially different from stressors of the distant past, and stress may not be as straightforward to manage as it once was. Many experts believe that stress is most likely to become harmful when stress levels are elevated over a long period of time, known as chronic stress. Chronic stress is associated with numerous harmful impacts on both mental and physical health. If your stress levels are high every day, strongly consider adopting stress management strategies or working with a trusted adult to help reduce them.
How do you know if stress is affecting your sleep?
You find it hard to sleep at night due to constant worrying or stress. If you manage to do so, you may experience unexpected awakenings at night. Even with longer during of sleep, people would still feel restless and tired, perhaps they’re not sleeping deeply enough as one normally would.
How can you tell if you are feeling overwhelmed?
You may feel overwhelmed if you already feel hopeless and helpless about your current situation. You may show signs of irritability, anger, anxiety, and deep sadness. You may also have difficulty concentrating and are confused.
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