Feeling anxious or stressed is part of normal development. So, What can teens do about stress? Teenagers who find themselves feeling worried about their friendships, concerned about how they look, or stressed about an upcoming exam are just being teens. But, if the stress and anxiety is occurring most of the time and getting in the way of studying and socializing, you might want to do something more about it. You can grab your cell and try an app such as Breathe2relax.
You can also try some of the following strategies that will help you to reduce your stress:
Read the book 101 Ways to Conquer Teen Anxiety by Dr.Thomas McDonagh and John Patrick Hatcher. This book provides clear strategies for overcoming worry, panic attacks, and anxiety.
Reduce stress and anxiety by doing something relaxing with water. This could include taking a bath, staying in the shower for a long time, or going swimming in the ocean or in an indoor pool during the winter. Water tends to have a relaxing effect on most people. For non-swimmers, even sitting in a hot tub or washing your face with warm water may be helpful.
Say a prayer. You don’t need to be religious to have the faith that things will change. You might consider learning the serenity prayer. The short version is generally not seen as specific to any particular religion, although it does mention God. Regardless of your religious beliefs or your understanding of God, the serenity plan helps many people to accept the things they cannot change, have the courage to change the things they can, and develop the wisdom to know the difference. You might like a different saying. Keep it with you and repeat it. You could even make up your own mantra.
Listen to something newsworthy, educational, or instructional on your phone. Find a meditation or background sound mp3 that relaxes you to help get your mind off your worries. This could be done through something as simple as listening to a meditation app. Even listening to an audiobook or podcast could engage your mind so that you are less worried about the current situation.
Featured image: Flickr user gliuoo
