Stressed Out!
Coping with nerve-wracking situations.
by Risa Peris
TWEENS & TEENS News January
2008
You probably hear the word “stress”
uttered a hundred times a day, mostly by your
parents and other adults. You might think
it is a phenomenon that increases with age.
In actuality, teenage stress is as prevalent
as adult stress. In fact, various psychiatric
organizations including the American Academy
of Pediatrics have developed stress management
guides just for youth.
ne, the CEO and founder of the Celerity Educational
Group (a developer of charter schools), notes
that stress is about “experiencing pressure
from the outside world.” As a long-time
teacher, administrator and education entrepreneur,
McFarlane has witnessed firsthand the effects
of stress on youth. Generally, “stress
reveals itself as behavior problems or physical
problems,” says McFarlane. “Children
under stress are likely to find themselves
at odds with teachers, peers and parents.”
As for physical problems, “many youth
that experience stress at school make complaints
of stomachaches and headaches,” she
continues. “They also experience a decreased
ability to concentrate on their schoolwork.”
What are the causes of tween and
teen stress?
•Peer pressure
•Bullying
•Family problems, including financial
constraints
•College admissions
•The SAT
•Crammed schedules with little time
for relaxation
•Relationships
•Changing schools
•Separation or divorce of parents
•Neighborhood safety issues
These are just a few of the stressors that
youth experience on a daily basis. Some of
the stressors, such as peer pressure and bullying,
are solely caused by other youth. However,
other stressors are caused solely by adults.
Brian, a student at Celerity Nascent Charter
School in the Jefferson Park area of Los Angeles,
remarked that a “maxed out schedule”
was the main culprit of his stress. Other
students who were interviewed said that family
problems were their chief concern, as well
as issues with living in unsafe neighborhoods.
How can you beat stress?
McFarlane says that “stress can be managed
but not eradicated.” And along with
many experts in the field of child psychology,
she reasons that some stress is a good thing.
Stress can improve your performance, help
you master a skill or subject, and even help
you succeed. After all, stress may be a motivator
in addition to an anxiety-inducer.
However, experiencing stress void of coping
skills can harm a person mentally and physically.
Because stress will never disappear from our
lives, the best way to deal with it is to
create avenues that allow us to escape it
regularly. Once you have escaped stress for
ample time, you will be able to better tackle
your tasks. Think of escaping stress as halftime
during a football game.
How can you cope?
Here are some strategies for dealing with
daily stresses:
•Use a journal. Consider writing down
your problems. You don’t have to write
a book or be the next J.K. Rowling to express
yourself with words. You just have to have
something to say. Journaling serves as an
excellent outlet to release negative thoughts
and feelings. And you don’t have to
be constructive! Because you are the only
person who reads your journal, you can virtually
say anything in it. Writing a problem down
is like opening the door on a bird cage—
liberating and generally harmless.
•Be creative. Often the act of creating
something releases your mind from stress and
fear. Your creation can be simple or elaborate.
It may involve knitting, cooking, music, art,
scrapbooking or model airplane making. The
end product doesn’t matter. What matters
is the process. You can make something as
basic as a sketch of mountains and still reap
the benefits of creativity and stress relief.
Creation is about focusing intensely on a
subject. That focused attention diverts your
body away from stressful feelings and imposes
a kind of peace.
•Exercise. Exercise is a frequently
touted method of stress relief. Yet, much
of exercise advice is stressful itself! Some
exercise gurus suggest a rigorous methods
of physical activity for relieving stress.
Of course, if you have a packed school and
social schedule then finding time for excessive
exercise can be difficult. Also, if experts
suggest you run but you hate running then
stress might heighten while doing this activity
you dislike.
The best way to relieve stress by exercising
is to do it moderately and do what you enjoy.
If you like swimming, then by all means swim.
But, there is no need to train for swimming
the English Channel. A half-hour swimming
session a couple of times a week should be
enough to reduce stress. Remember, the key
is to escape stress and not impose stress
onto your mind and body.
•Talk. I am sure you have heard the
statement, “talking is a cure.”
While talking will not necessarily solve life’s
problems, it can relieve anxiety by discussing
ways to cope with problems. Plus, it’s
another outlet for getting stressful sentiments
off your chest.
There are three ways you can talk: You can
talk to a friend, you can talk to a trusted
and respected adult, and you can talk to a
professional, such as a therapist or social
worker.
Most therapy ranges from $80 to $150 an hour,
which is clearly out of the question for most
middle and high schoolers. However, your parent’s
health insurance may cover the bulk of the
cost. It may be worth investigating if you
wish to seek specialized advice for your problems.
Also, you can talk with an adult like a parent,
teacher or neighbor, and another great person
to talk to is a friend. The key to talking
is talking— not necessarily the advice
you get in return. As with creation, it is
the process that is important.
•Read. I know what you are thinking,
“more work!” Despite the connection
of reading to school, it is an excellent way
to escape stress. What could be more pleasurable
than sinking into a book and being able to
shut out the world? Reading not only allows
for a method of escape, it also enables you
to view other people’s problems and
study their reactions and solutions to those
problems. This may help you grapple with personal
stress.
Risa Peris is currently a director of
operations for a charter management organization.
She has a background in law, education and
finance. Peris regularly freelances, assists
companies in drafting corporate communications
and writes for several publications in the
United States.
