Stress, like many of our body’s natural responses can be healthy in small doses. When we aren’t able to properly cope with stress, it begins to affect our lives in many ways. Stress causes tension that can consume our minds and emotions making us feel hopeless, overwhelmed and not in control.
A research study found that many high school students’ stressors stemmed from their relationships with parents, family, work, and a lack of money. Academic stress was also mentioned, however noted as an obvious stressor. The researchers found that many of the students who did not cope well with these stressors reported substance abuse, following peer pressure, and lack of motivation in school due to the inability to cope.
A more recent study found a connection between the inability to cope with stress and negative behaviors. The researchers found that excessive stress during teen years could have both a physical and mental impact on teens later on in life. It is necessary to teach teens how to properly cope with stress.
In order to break this cycle of stress and negative behaviors parents, teachers and other individuals involved in the lives of teens must come together to identify stressors and implement more positive coping strategies. Coping strategies can be as simple as teaching teens to work self-care into their schedules, workout when they are feeling overwhelmed, and to make lists of tasks to keep themselves on track. Having an open conversation with teens where they are able to express their issues and feel supported is a good place to start teaching positive coping skills.
Written by Shontelle Davis