Let's face it; whether you're a busy homemaker or a high flying executive, today's popular mind-set is to be as busy as possible stress with nearly every hour and minute crammed with some kind of work. Yet the day-to-day pressure can build into chronic stress, which if ignored, can be detrimental to our mind, body, and spirit.
The Body
While most of us have stress in some form, an unhealthy response to stress happens when the demands of the stressor exceed an individual's coping ability. While stress is actually a psychological state of mind, as it considerably affects our physiological state. "In a classical stressful situation, certain stress hormones such as cortisol are released which increases the heartbeat, sweating, uneasiness, and the urge to urinate," with the initial indicator usually manifesting as an inability to sleep. In the long run this leads to problems such as indigestion, acidity, ulcers, low-back pains, high-blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, depression, headaches, and fatigue, to name a few. Long-term stress also affects our immunity and reduces our disease-fighting capacity.
In Teens
While the teenage years can be highly stressful, some typical stressors include: stress from school, social anxiety, and depressive feelings - for example, not belonging, self-harm and other dysfunctional coping strategies. Another big one, particularly pertinent to today, is social media inappropriateness. While teens and adults overlap in how they cope with stress, the only difference is that adults express stress verbally while teens tend to isolate themselves during times of high stress. "This is because teenagers are unable to properly manage their stress due to a lack of healthy coping skills,".
Negative Implications
If the stress is not caught and addressed in time, teenagers may utilize reckless and destructive behaviors, substance abuse, and physical violence as unhealthy coping skills. Teenagers' academic and extra-curricular progress may also deteriorate if stress is not handled appropriately.
Getting a Grip on Teen Stress
Maintaining effective communication with your teen and adopting healthy coping skills are the two most effective ways to manage with stress.
Be available - make some time no matter how busy the schedule is - structure opportunities into daily life. Spending time with your teen shows them that you care even though they are pushing you away.
Be realistic and flexible in your expectations but praise effort more than just results.
Be patient and consistent during their developmental phase - they are changeable and trying to make sense of their place in the world - they can defy reason and sense sometimes.
Do not minimize their feelings in hopes of them "getting over it". Their feelings are real and affecting them in ways that need to be addressed.
Be practical and constructive in your approach - they may need your wisdom and organization - even if they say they don't.
You cannot and should not shield them from all stresses and risks. You must set limits as well as consequences to what is acceptable and unacceptable at home, school, and elsewhere.