Teen Stress: How to Reduce Stress in Teenagers

Life can throw its punches and they affect everyone, including teens. People think that childhood is some fund time, a nice stroll in the park, but in reality, it’s not. It can be very stressful to be a teenager and there are many reasons for it. Take school for example. School can be extremely stressful for a teenager. There is a lot to worry about, like tests, studying, maintaining passing grades, and I know for a fact that a lot of teenagers don’t get enough sleep. Now pile that all on top of going to work, having a social life, and dealing with home life. Yeah, it can be stressful.

Alright, the first thing you need to learn, as a parent, how to reduce stress in teens is to listen to them. Make sure you don’t judge them in any way and also try to get the whole story before you start offering them advice. You can also say things like “It looks like you are frustrated.” This shows them that you notice that they are stressed and are actually interested in helping them, allowing them to easier open up to you. Once they have told you the full story and let you in on what they are stressed out about, you can give them your advice.

Make sure that you are expecting realistic things out of them. You want them to get good grades; all parents do, but sometimes kids struggle. If they try their best and they only receive a C that may be good for them. Don’t get upset with them over this because that may cause them to get stressed and try too hard. If you know they struggle in certain areas, but they try hard, be sure to praise them. This may cause them to excel in the area because kids like praise. They want to feel good for their accomplishments.

Prepare your child for problems they may experience in the future. Knowing what to expect is one of the best ways, in my opinion, to reduce stress in situations. Everyone is nervous for a job interview, so why not tell them what is going to happen. This way they feel more confident and less nervous before going in. Driving tests is something else that a lot of teenagers find stressful. Make sure they know everything and have had plenty of practice before going in. Again, this will reduce stress and make them more confident. Do this with other problems your child may run into in the future.

Teach them to be more organized. Being unorganized and cluttered is one way that I get the most stressed. Not being able to find something when you need it sucks, which is why I have learned to be a lot more organized with my things. Definitely teach your child that they can eliminate stress just by being more organized.

I mentioned this before; most teenagers don’t get enough sleep at night, which will contribute to poor moods and more stress. During high school, I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 6:30. I wasn’t the only one either. Plenty of kids do this. The doctor orders up at least 8 hours of sleep per night. This will re-energize your body and over time it will put you in a better mood. You will also begin to feel less and less tired throughout the day.

Make your kids do their homework as soon as they get home from school.Procrastination is a great way to cause stress to your teen. Most kids get home and watch TV or play Halo and don’t start their homework until 10:30 at night. Getting done with their homework early will allow them to go through the rest of the night worry free.