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Monday, March 2, 2009

Handling Adolescent Stress

Posted by patrick

By Samantha Jones

There is no one who finds their teenage years a stress free or easy time. Adolescent stress is common and can be linked to any number of different factors. There are the hormonal shifts which mark puberty, learning to deal with their developing minds, bodies and emotions and the pressure associated with realizing that they are growing up and starting to make choices about their lives. All of these things can cause an adolescent stress and anxiety.

The list which follows are some of the factors which can lead to adolescent stress:

- the separation or divorce of their parents

- moving

- beginning studies at a new school

- death in the family

- conflicts with parents, teachers or other teenagers

- beginning or ending their first romantic relationships

- having sex for the first time

- an illness in the family

- their family experiencing financial problems

- living in a neighborhood which is dangerous

- the physical and emotional changes caused by puberty

- pressure to succeed at school (from teachers, coaches, parents or oneself)

- negative feelings and thoughts about themselves

Of course, all of these things could cause stress in adults too. Adolescents, however have less control over their lives and tend to cope with stress differently than do adults.

In fact, all teenagers are sure to be stressed from time to time. This can show in a number of ways:

- irritability and mood swings

- anxiety and worrying

- becoming withdrawn

- the use of alcohol or drugs

- becoming physically ill

There are some techniques which can help to reduce stress. Some of these techniques will produce almost immediate relief, while others are long terms strategies which can assist in stabilizing emotions and hormone levels.

- watch or read something that makes you laugh

- listen to music which relaxes you

- talk to a good friend or play with a pet

- exercise regularly

- eating healthy ? a diet which is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can help to reduce stress

- avoid stimulants (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, sugar, tobacco, alcohol, drugs) especially when feeling stressed out

- learning relaxation techniques, including deep breathing

- practice yoga, tai chi or meditation

- learn better communication skills; learn to tell people how you feel or what you want in a way which is assertive, but not threatening

- if you feel overwhelmed by a problem, try breaking it down into more manageable parts and tackle them one at a time

- try to replace negative thoughts with positive ones such as affirmations

- don't obsess on the negative

If you're experiencing a lot of stress and you are finding your quality of life or even your physical health negatively affected, you may benefit from stress management training. This training will teach you some of the techniques listed above and help you learn to reduce stress almost as soon as it arises.

Keep in mind that a certain degree of stress is only natural and we all experience it at times. What matters is how you deal with stress ? adolescent stress does not have to overshadow everything else in your life.

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