You feel your heart racing, your palms sweaty. Your mind is overwhelmed with countless thoughts, worries, and what-ifs. Headaches become persistent. You then start rubbing your forehead, like you have seen every adult do. This feeling that I am describing is stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are something you have heard and experienced, whether long-term or short-lasting, an invisible illness. You can not see it, but you feel your stomach turning in knots or your head throbbing.
To summarize, stress and anxiety can severely impact your life. Thankfully, there are various coping mechanisms, support systems, and professions that specialize in mental well-being. How can I cope healthily with stress and anxiety?
First, what is stress and anxiety? Stress and anxiety are chemical reactions in your body. If you have most likely heard the phrase fight or flight, it is entwined with stress and anxiety. Fight or flight is your body’s reaction to danger. Anxiety is fight or flight, except anxiety is the absence of a real threat. The real danger is life-threatening. For instance, if a bear is chasing you, this triggers a normal fight-or-flight response. In contrast, an important exam where fighting or flying is triggered is unhealthy and damaging, which can cause long-term stressors that are damaging to your well-being.
What does it look like? Stress and anxiety can look vastly different for everyone. It can be you, nervous about a big test coming up, or your family is under some financial stress, which has made you worry. That worry about the unknown; what will happen? What if the worst happens? That is your anxiety peeking through. Stress is your body’s reaction to threats like school deadlines, traumatic events, and the loss of a loved one.
What are the effects of build-up? Stress and anxiety build-up have dire effects. While you may think that going to bed at 2 a.m. and waking up at 7 a.m. is inconsequential, this habit can lead to serious long-term problems. Furthermore, when stress and anxiety build and are in your day-to-day life, this is when a bigger lasting problem occurs, like a panic attack or anxiety disorder. This build-up can be very challenging to live with. You may find yourself not being able to do everyday tasks.
How do stress and anxiety affect teenagers? Firstly, our mental health plays a massive role in our physical health and vice versa, so when one is lacking, it takes a toll on our well-being. Common symptoms are headaches, nausea, mood swings, irritability, and feeling of hopelessness. These symptoms and long-term stress can evolve into an anxiety or depression disorder. Similarly, these symptoms can also lead to substance abuse or self-harm, which is an unhealthy coping mechanism. If you are feeling thoughts of hurting yourself or are, Text SH to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) or Call 1-800-366-8288 (U.S. S.A.F.E. Alternatives (Self-Abuse Finally Ends) – Organization).
Furthermore, there are many typical stressors in teenagers' lives that you have probably gone through. Academic pressure in school is very stressful, especially in high school. Many people fear that making a mistake will ruin their future and prevent them from achieving their desired outcomes. When your perspective on life is negative, you may feel pessimistic about the future or become overwhelmed. In drastic situations of overwhelming stress, school avoidance may seem like the best option. Social relationships can often be a significant source of stress. You may worry about how others will react to you and what you say. This anxiety can lead to reduced social interactions, which may, in turn, worsen feelings of social anxiety and contribute to overwhelming loneliness.
How to healthily cope with stress and anxiety! Habits, activities, and support are incredible ways to cope with stress healthily. First, habits! Maintain a healthy diet and exercise daily. Something simple I found that truly helped with my nausea from stress was adding more veggies to my diet. I am still astonished with how much better I have felt for the simplest change. Do not set unrealistic goals. Add something simple that you like at least a little. Similarly, with exercise, make realistic goals. Go for a walk around your neighborhood for 15 minutes while listening to music, or if you want a little more fun, follow along with a Just Dance video on YouTube. Dancing is excellent cardio, and there are countless other ways to exercise. All you have to do is find what best helps your stress.
SLEEP!! Please get some sleep. Without enough sleep, your physical and mental health will suffer drastically, and if you are anything like me, you are not a very pleasant person. So, for yourself (and everybody else's) sake, sleep! Similarly, resting can also help with your anxiety, not naps, but breaks. When you are working on a task and start to feel overwhelmed, give yourself a break. Another great habit to develop for tasks is breaking them down into smaller manageable steps.
Limiting social media is difficult. Social media plays a huge part in society today, but it also causes a lot of stress and anxiety. Now, I am not saying to delete social media, but limiting your use and managing your time spent on social media can improve your stress level more than you may be aware.
Second, activities! Meditation and mindfulness. Taking a second to calm yourself, a typical tool with meditation and mindfulness is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. You can implement this method anywhere. Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. It does not have to be perfect, but this will allow you to ground yourself and move away from negative thoughts and overwhelming worry.
Engaging in hobbies and activities you enjoy can help. For example, if you like drawing, art is a great de-stressor that aids many. However, any hobby or activity can work; find what works best for you! Listening to music is also a great coping mechanism. Putting your headphones on (at a reasonable volume) and relaxing has helped many.
Lastly, support! Having a support system is very beneficial. A support system can look like a group of friends, a friend, a parent, a trusted adult, and more. Someone you can talk to for help or to share feelings. Professional help may be necessary. I believe that everyone could benefit from therapy. If you need professional help, never be afraid to ask. Go to a trusted friend or adult and discuss this with them. There are many resources, even free resources for therapy.
Anxiety and stress are a part of life, so the best thing you can do is cope with it. When stress arises or you are struggling with anxiety, I hope you use and find this helpful.
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