No tension

Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope.

Teens can decrease stress with the following behaviour and techniques

1. Exercise and eat regularly.
2. Avoid excess caffeine intake, which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
3. Avoid consuming drugs and tobacco.
4. Learn relaxation exercises, for example, abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.
5. Develop assertiveness training skills, for example, state feelings in a polite and firm manner and not in an overly aggressive or passive way. “I feel angry when you yell at me. Please stop yelling.”
6. Rehearse and practise situations that causes stress.  One example is taking a speech class and see if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
7. Learn practical coping skills, for example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
8. Decrease negative self-talk— challenge negative thoughts about yourself with alternative neutral or positive thoughts. “My life will never be better” can be transformed into “I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.”
9. Learn to feel good about doing a competent or a ‘good enough’ job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
10. Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to friends, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
11. Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.

By using these and other techniques, teenagers can begin to manage stress. If a teen talks about or shows signs of being overly stressed, a consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist or qualified mental health professional may be helpful.