Stress. Everyone has it at some time or another in their life. Teenagers especially feel the effects of stress due to many issues in their young life. Peer pressure, puberty, and just life in general can cause numerous amounts of stress on a young adult. Teaching them how to relax and deal with stress is the best way to have a happy teenager.
Signs of a stressed out teenager
Depression (moping all the time)
Anxious (never taking a break)
Insomnia (not sleeping)
Increased attitude
Stomach aches, head aches, neck pain
Missed menstrual cycle (girls)
Over eating or not eating at all
Here are some helpful tips to teach your teenager how to relax when stressed out.
1. Give them some private time. Allow them to sleep longer on the weekends, or stay in their room with their music blasting. Even allowing them to go out with their friends for an extra couple of hours can reduce stress in teenagers. When they are pre-occupied with their friends, stress related anxiety seems to dissolve quickly.
2. Have them read a book that they will enjoy. Reading relaxes anyone if in the right environment. Have them go into a room where they are alone. Just them, the book, and their imagination. You will see how more relaxed they are after just 30 minutes of reading.
3. Get out the cookbooks and cook with them. Cooking can relieve stress for you and your teenager. Make a cake, cookies, or even pizza with them. Or ask them what they would like to make and go from there. Either way, this is a great relaxation tip for anyone.
4. Take a walk with them around the neighborhood. If they prefer to walk somewhere else, take them to a mall or park. Walking helps relieve a lot of anxiety associated with stress. The more they walk, the less stressed out they will be.
5. Allow your teenager to engage in any after school activity they want. The more active they are, the less stress they seem to accumulate. Cheerleading, football, baseball, band, newspaper, crafts or anything that gets their mind working is always a good idea.
6. Have a good old sit down with just your teenager. Encourage them every other day or everyday to talk about their day. Whether it be good or bad, listen to what your teenager has to say. Many times, stress can be much worse when they have no one to talk to about what is going on in their life. Parents forget that something so easily done as listening is the one thing their child needs more than anything.
7. Get them laughing. Laughing is one of the best stress relievers for anyone. Pick up a few comedy videos, some pizza, and enjoy the night with laughter. The more they laugh, the less stressed out they will be.
8. Be positive and praise your teenager whenever you can. Even though you might not think it makes a difference when you do, it does. Teenagers like to be praised for their accomplishments just like anyone else does. If you’re proud of them, let them see that you are.
If you notice that your child is stressed out, start by asking questions first, then begin reducing the stress. If you do not know what is stressing them out, and why, the harder it will be to reduce the stress. Pay attention how they are acting and what they are doing at all times. Overly stressed out teenagers can lead to much more than depression. Educate yourself and be prompt to the situation at hand.
