Does your teen seem stressed out? At the end of the day, are they often flustered, irritable or completely exhausted? Are they hesitant to go to school or often feel sick due to worry? Are they anxious when you talk about what’s to come in the future, like college plans? Do they burn themselves out by committing to too many social or school-related activities?
WHAT CAUSES STRESS IN TEENS?
Teen stress statistics show that the most common causes of stress in teens is school work, their parents, problems with their friends and romantic relationships. Understanding the dynamics of teen stress and what may be on your teen’s plate is the first step in helping them cope with issues that are troubling them. Once you understand the main causes of stress, you can better see situations from their perspective and help your teen start seeing problems as opportunities rather than obstacles.
HOW DO TEENS DEAL WITH STRESS?
The way you deal with stress and how your teen manages it can look very different. If you don’t know their coping methods, you may mistake their stress for “typical teen angst,” which spins into rebellion, anger or even depression. Girls are more likely to withdraw from their friends and family while boys tend to be irritable or talk back. Knowing how your teen likes to deal with stress will help you identify what they’re really feeling and assist them in becoming better masters of their emotions.
STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS
Helping your child deal with teen stress is important not only to manage their anxiety now, but to also develop solid coping strategies for the future. If they don’t learn how to effectively deal with stress, they could go on to develop anxiety disorders or their health could suffer. As their parent, here are some ways you can assist them in creating strategies that work.
1. COMMUNICATE WITH THEM OPENLY
2. ASSESS YOUR EXPECTATIONS
3. HELP THEM ADJUST THEIR DIET AND EXERCISE ROUTINES
4. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR SOCIAL LIFE
On top of dealing with school, looking toward the future and participating in extracurricular activities, your child is also likely involved in a lot of social activities. This can either benefit your child immensely or lead to teen stress. There are a lot of societal pressures on teenagers; check in with your child to see if they’re having issues with bullying, being pressured into experimenting with substances or are having unsafe relationships online.
Social media is an added layer of pressure for teens these days. When teens and adult influencers are able to highlight the best portions of their lives on social media, their peers can often feel inadequate in comparison. If social media is hurting your teen, you may want to consider limiting their screen time or taking them to a seminar or workshop that helps them cope with social networking.