Stress in your teenager: Are you worried about stress in your teenager? Or you feel that your teen is always in depressing condition without any apparent reason.
As a parent many times I feel the same thing about my younger child. Sometimes he laughs a lot and suddenly he become upset for no reason. I was disturbed by his behavior.
To know about the reason, I ask to him what`s going on or is there anything wrong. Then I came to know that he was stressed about his studies. As he thinks that he can`t perform well in coming exams.
I am sure as a parent you may also go through this kind of situation many times. Or you don`t know how to deal with teens mood swings. What are the causes of my teen stress? How stress can affect my teen? How to find solution of my teen stress?
In this Blog.
In this blog, I will try to address stress in teens completely. Effects of Stress. Causes of stress. How to deal with your teen stress?
Topics
Introduction
Stress is a condition in which a person feel frustration, nervousness, and anger. Stress is a body reaction to any challenge.
We can say stress is body and mental reaction to any incoming danger or threat. Everyone in life experience stress somehow.
Positive stress.
I will say, stress in teens not bad completely. Sometimes stress help our teens to reach their goals or meat any deadline. Stress can be positive when it helps in the accomplishment of a goal.
Negative stress
Excess of everything is bad. When there is excess feeling of stress and frustration, child become unable to perform work activities.
So, it become very important for parents to manage stress in their teens. Because negative stress can affect child performance and mental health badly.
12 Probable causes of stress in your teenager
Here, we will discuss some causes or things that can be reason of your teen stress.
- it`s the most common cause of stress in teens. Usually teens become over worried about their coming exams or any test.
- Being too emotional, teens often stressed about relations. Or they can feel stress about toxic friend or relation.
- Teens can feel stress when there are too many things to do. We can say curriculum and a curriculum activities pressure.
- If you move from one place to other, or you change the school of your teen. There is more possibility your teen feel stress about these changes.
- This thing can also cause stress in your teenager.
- It is also the most common cause of stress in teens. When there is uncomfortable environment at home because of parents disturbing relation. Child usually become depressed and frustrated.
- When teens become unable to meet expectations of parent or any relation. They become frustrated and stressed.
- When your teen is loaded with work which becomes too much to handle for your teen.
- If there is any stress in the environment where your teen in. Stress due to finances, Loss, or sickness, etc.
- If your teen is very rigid in their opinion or outlook and struggles to adapt to changes. It can even be good changes like welcoming a new baby.
- When your teen faces experience that makes them develop a negative outlook of life. Sometimes when their friends have such an outlook it can rub on your teen.
- When you or their sibling or their social group are a bunch of achievers and set high standards or expectations from your teen.
15 common signs to spot stress in your teenager
I have listed below few tell-tale signs that can give you some indication of stress in your teenager. If it is a one-off occurrence there is little to be worried.
But when it occurs often, or your instinct tells you that something is off in your teenager’s behavior. Trust it and try to have a conversation with your teenager about your uncomfortableness.
10 Side effects of stress
As we discuss earlier, negative stress can affect your child. Here, we will discuss effects of stress in teens
First, we discuss effects of stress from medical point of view. If your child remains in stress for long time,
Spend some time to read more about the common teen issue from our blogs. Read our articles at Parental challenges growing teenagers.
Way to diagnose stress (N-U-T-S Method)
Sonia Lupien at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress coined the acronym NUTS. This will help us remember better the classification of things that make life stressful.
NUTS stand for …
Novelty
Unpredictability
Threat to the ego
Sense of control
All types of stress can be bucketed into these 4 categories. This will help you diagnose the stress correctly. And use the appropriate strategy needed to address the issue.
Novelty
All that is new and changing in your teenager’s life. Things like new house, new school, new relationship, new member to the family etc…
How to approach: The best way to approach, minimise and mitigate this stress is to plan and prepare. Help your teen to look forward to the change. And ensure they are well prepared for it.
Related read : Face challenges and adjust to new school
Unpredictability
All the things that cause unpredictability in your teenager’s life. Things such as lockdown due to pandemic, An accident, death or loss, natural disasters. Even novelty issues bring about an element of unpredictability in your teen’s life.
These stresses come out of the blue all of a sudden. Though the predictable routine out of gear. Make your teen thread tough uncharted territories.
How to approach: What helps in these times are one’s attitude and thought process. As parent you will have to ensure your teen is displaying positive outlook and moving forward. Your support and guidance are much needed.
Related read : positive thinking; Mental welbeing
Threat to the ego
All things that can cause a threat to their ego, or competency or their safety. Things like peer pressures, challenge in school or among social group, Power play between social hierarchies[TD1] , validation issues.
How to approach: As parents the best thing to do for these categories of stress is to counsel them. Point to them their uniqueness and appreciate and praise them.
These types of stress can be best countered when your teen build a healthy self-confidence and have a good self-esteem. Where their core value systems are sound and they need not set out to please everyone.
Related read : Self confidence; Self esteem
Sense of control
All things that influence or impact your teenager but are beyond the control of your teenager. Things like bad neighbourhood, bullying, any type of abuse, not able to adjust to school or teachers, cumulative day-to-day difficulties.
These types of stress can a rot in the bone. They are long duration ones that effect on a day to day basis. They are more difficult to handle as they are slowly and steadily eat into your teen’s wellbeing. Since the issues are perceived to be out of one’s control. Your teen can easily feel helpless and loose hope.
How to approach: Depends on the severity your intervention maybe needed to help your teen regain control. Such as bullying and abuse will need you to report the issue and take charge immediately.
Apart from this your will also have to work on giving your teen hope so that they can over come the issue and look for a bright future.
Related read : Hope
10 things you can do to help deal with stress in your teenager
Don`t feel alone
Thousands of parents with teens and children facing this situation. Don`t feel alone. A little stress is good for your teens.
Don`t show too much concerned about little kind of stress in teens. It`s necessary for their good performances.
But if you feel your teen is over stressed and tired all the times. First, there is no need to be so much worry as it can affect your mental health too.
So, do not blame yourself too much and move forward to your teen.
Share a good relationship with your teen
Trust me, nothing can help you more than this. When you and your teen share a good relationship, everything become super easy.
Your teen feels free to talk about anything or any topic with you. Hey this will give you some insights into understanding what your teenager is facing. Nothing beats a good emotional bonding with you.
If you like to know more about how to build a strong emotional bonding with your teenager reader article emotionally bonding.
Direct talk with your teen
Once you feel your teen is stressed about something, go for direct talk. Show them your care and concern about themselves. Ask them what is troubling them. Or what`s wrong.
There is strong possibility your teen discusses their problem with you. Once they discussed their problem with you, give them emotional support and proper guidance about that issue.
Do not be judgmental about them or keep interrupting them when they talk to you.
Plan a picnic party or long drive with your teen
This thing can also help you to talk about your teen mental problem. When you go for such kind of outings, your teen feels self-importance or self-worth.
This will not only give you good one on one uninterrupted time with your teenager. It will also make them feel that their parents are really worried about their problems. They are more likely to discuss things with you.
Talk with a friend of your teen seek their help
Sometimes, child don`t open to parents completely about something. In this case, you can seek help from their best friend whom you think they can discuss their problem.
But I will say to avoid such condition, you should build an open a free relation with your teen. So, they feel free to talk with you about anything.
Teach your teen to choose right friends so that they can come in time of need to help your teen to cope with stress. If you like to know how to teach your teen on this subject read our exhaustive article friendship.
If you feel the stress is because of bullying, then talk to school authorities if it happens in school or to the bully’s parents to help your teen.
Read about bullying issues in our article bullying.
Encourage them & make them look forward to life
Tell your teen it is never a good idea to remain unhappy all the time. This thing can destroy your personality. Ask you teen to love the fact “who you are’’.
Highlight the talents and gifts that your teen has. Similarly tell them why you appreciate them and what their uniqueness are. Keep repeating it to them till they start completely believing you.
Tell them of your aspirations you have for them and how you completely believe then to grow up to become successful and wonderful grown person.
Find the stressor
We have outlined above some of the common reasons that can cause stress in your teenager. Keep this in mind when you have a friendly talk with your teenager.
Go through some of these reasons and probe them when you are having a talk with your teenager. Figure out why your teenagers getting stressed out.
When you can understand where the problem is and why it is stressing your teenager you will be able to come up with proper solution. And give guidance to help your team overcome the stress.
If the stress is because of your high expectations of them and their anxiety that they cannot live up to it. Understand it and lower your expectation of them to reasonable levels so that they do not land up have anxiety issues.
Learn about teen anxiety issues in our article anxiety.
Brainstorm with your teen to find solutions
Guide your teen, once the problem is at the door, we should find solution of problem.
Instead of thinking all the time about the problem. Guide them to find solution.
Tell them the insights you have of the problem. What you might think is the stressor. Talk to them but be careful not to be judgmental.
When you explain their situation from a neutral point of view. It will bring about clarity in them. And you and them can go about brainstorming about how to tackle the situation.
Do tell them that some situations cannot be tackled but will have to be waited out. This is where our next point comes handy.
You can also spend some time and read our article smart teen.
Teach them coping mechanisms
Teach them and help them to practice some of the coping mechanisms. We have outlined below further in this blog some effective coping mechanisms for stress.
Keep reading to know more on these coping mechanisms and how you can help your teen use them to manage the stress better.
Take a break and be available for them
Tell them, their mental health is your priority. They can take break from work and go for outings or their favorite places.
Help them unwind and destress. Be available for them wen they like to talk to you. Do not force them to talk to you. Give them their space and respect.
10 Effective stress coping mechanism to teach your teen
#1 Good food & Sleep
Show concerned about your teen sleep pattern. Encourage them to have good sleep. Also educate them about balanced diet and make sure your teen is eating healthy food.
#2 Sunlight
Sunlight has amazing benefits and a good mood booster. A good mood helps your child to think clearly and handle stress better. Read more in our article sunlight.
#3 Outdoor Play and Exercise
Make sure that your teen exercises in regular basis. Encourage them to spend some time in outdoor play rather than being a lazy person.
#4 Teach them balance between work, play and rest
Help your teen have a balanced life. Help them make a schedule and make it more predictable and easier to follow. Familiarity reduces stress levels a lot.
#5 Find other stress busters
Find out pleasurable activities that your teen likes. It can be listening to music, or drawing, or gardening or reading a book etc. Encourage them to have a hobby and provide material for them to pursue it.
#6 Motivate your teen to write a diary
When we write down worries on paper, this thing can reduce mental pressure. And they can pour their stress out in writing.
Guide and motivate your teen to write down things when they are feeling pressure. It can also be writing a poem or a diary record or a journal.
#7 Teach your teen how to pause, reset and restart.
When your teen is frustrated and feeling overwhelmed. And tying themselves into knots. Tell them it is ok to take a pause. Distance themselves from what is causing them stress. Take a time out reset themselves and then restart what they were doing.
#8 Teach them to avoid substance abuse
Tell them substance abuse is not an effective way to deal with stress. It can be anything from sex, drugs, alcohol or even the innocent looking caffeine or sugar. Tell them it leads to other complications that is only going to lead them to more stress.
Read our related article sex, drug, and alcohol.
#9 Social and Volunteer work
Encourage your teen to do some social or volunteer work. When they work among people who are less privileged than them. It tends to evoke a sense of gratitude. When your teen sees how these people less privileged than them manage to live life. They get new motivation to overcome their stress.
#10 Teach them power of prayer, silence, or meditation
Teach you teen to channelize their faith in their religion and use prayer as a stress buster. If you are not of religiously inclined, then teach them the power of silence and meditation. All this will calm their ruffled nerves.
Important Note to parents
No doubt yourself or be harsh on yourself, you can feel worry about your child mental health.
But don`t be too depressed in such kind of situation. Just relax, try to know the cause of your teen stress, and then find a possible solution.
Help them with the methods mentioned above. Show patience give encouragement and motivation. Teach them how they can find solutions. With proper guidance you can prevent your teen from stressing conditions.
Conclusion
At the end I will conclude by saying, with a healthy environment and understanding parents’ teens less likely to stress. Try to give them healthy and understanding environment. Try to develop an understanding relation with your teens to avoid future problems.
Every parent goes though this. You are not the only one who must deal with stress in your teenager. I have faced it with both my sons. Just be approachable and be there for them and take things one step at a time. You will tide over this and your teen will blossom to be one happy adult.
God Bless!!
Disclaimer:
I like to make a disclaimer here. I am not a medical practitioner and more about me, my qualification and experience or that of my team you can read in About Us page.
However, I am a mother growing 3 kids. Am a concerned parent.
I like to share my knowledge with the hope that it will be help to someone somewhere and make a difference to a very worried parent.
I have written this article, basis my experience, my talk with experts in this line and research on this topic. Also, I have implemented it in my life with my kids.
I like to emphasize that this is only for knowledge sharing and information purpose.
The contents of the MyShadesOfYellow.com site, including text, graphics, images, and other material are for informational purposes only.
Nothing contained in this site is or should be considered or used as a substitute for any medical or professional advice.
It should not also be a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you are feeling concerned and worried about your kid. Your instinct tells you to be concerned.
As a parent to parent. I would say trust your instinct. No one knows better than you as a parent to your child. It is best to reach out to a qualified practitioner to address your concern.
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