I can't believe this. I have to write an English paper for Wednesday, my Spanish presentation is on Thursday which I still have to write, I have a huge Social Studies test Friday, and I have every subject for homework tonight including 60 pages to read in this dumb English book! How am I ever going to get through the week???
Are you feeling like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Losing sleep worrying about test and schoolwork? Eating on the run because your schedule is just too busy? If you are feeling stressed out, you are not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times. Stress is a state of tension or pressure. Under conditions of increased stress, the human body responds with a built-in chemical reaction, producing hormones that have specific physical effects. That natural reaction is known as the stress response. The stress response can be triggered by physical or emotional pressures or demands or anything perceived as a threat, challenge, or danger.
Stress is the body's way of rising to a challenge, preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness. Working properly, the body's stress response maximizes a person's abilities under pressure. But an overload of stress isn't good for anyone. If you're so stressed out, you can easily become irritable and depressed. Some people turn to drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating to cope and ease the tension they feel.
What can a teen do to deal with stress overload, or better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most important thing is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. That means learning how to manage your reaction to the things that happen. Your reaction includes your attitudes, your thoughts, your emotions, and your behavior. All that's plenty to deal with - no wonder it's hard for some people to manage stress well! It can take time, effort, and patience to develop good stress-management skills, but the payoff's worth it. So if you want to keep your stress under control, minimize your stressors. Leave some time in the day just for you. Get a good night's sleep. Learn to relax. Exercise regularly. Get to know great people. Watch what you're thinking. And learn to solve life's little problems.
National Mental Health Association
American Academy of Family Physicians
Contact a trusted adult that you can confide in.
American Institute of Stress
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