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5 Ways to Help Your Child Beat School Related Stress
It’s no wonder teens are stressed out. The pressures of school and interpersonal relationships are constant, and most teenagers aren’t fully equipped to handle it. The region of the brain involved in planning, organizing, and making decisions (i.e. the things that help us cope with stress) is still developing during puberty, which means kids don’t always react to pressure well.
Luckily, parental guidance can be extremely helpful. You can give your teen the tools they need to manage stress, so that they can enjoy life and look forward to the future. Here are five ways to help your teens address the stressors in their life and work through them:
Sitting quietly for just ten minutes a day can really help your teen with stress levels. Meditation is easily added into the daily routine, and can be as simple or as complex as your child is comfortable with. Guided meditations can be found on YouTube or through a class, but if your teen is a self-starter, have them give one of the following meditations a try:
Breathing Focused Meditation
- Sit in a comfortable position and focus your attention on your breathing.
- Count each breath. Breathe in, breathe out, one, breathe in, breathe out, two, etc.
- Continue until you reach ten and then start again.
- If you lose count, go back to one.
- If you have any thoughts or become aware of outside noises, acknowledge them, then let them go and return to your meditation.
- Continue the exercise for five to fifteen minutes.
- As you become more practiced in this meditation, you may wish to do it for longer periods of time and focus on the feel of your breath as it enters and leaves your body.
- Close your eyes and breath slowly, in and out, through your nose.
- Picture a place, real or imagined, where you are at peace.
- Take time to focus on each aspect of this environment. What can you see? Do you hear anything? What do you smell and feel?
- Change features of the environment at will, and continue your awareness exercise.
- End the meditation when you feel completely relaxed.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to beat stress, for teens and adults alike. Exercise releases endorphins which act as natural mood boosters. While intensive workouts are the best way to release endorphins, even just a 30 minute daily walk will produce positive effects.
Encourage your teen to find an exercise or sport that they enjoy. You might even suggest joining a school sports team or trying a new activity together!
Relaxing is essential for your teen’s physical and mental health. Encourage them to spend at least half an hour each day working on one of their hobbies. Hobbies provide responsibility-free time in their schedule where they can recharge their batteries by doing something they enjoy. Furthermore, hobbies provide a break with a purpose, allowing them to use their down time for something productive. When they’re feeling overwhelmed, their hobbies will provide an outlet for stress and something to look forward to after a hard day at school.
The pressures of homework, tests, and ACTs often result in stress. Not being able to comprehend certain subjects only makes that stress worse. Having someone to talk to about their schoolwork can be incredibly helpful. Tutors in Houston will help teens air their worries and keep things in perspective — not to mention get a leg up in multiple subjects.
Lend an Ear
Talking with your teen about the sources of stress in their lives is a helpful step in identifying and controlling said stress. Do your best to spend some time alone with your teen each week. Listen to their concerns and feelings, ask questions, and share positive thoughts. Remember, don’t interrupt or jump in with advice unless you are asked. Most importantly, remind them that knowing when to ask for help is a strength, not a weakness.
Watch your teen closely for signs of mental health issues. If you believe your child is suffering from depression or anxiety disorders, talk to them. Acknowledge their feelings and refrain from making snap judgments. If/when you seek professional help, involve your teen in these decisions so they feel comfortable taking charge of their mental health and working toward recovery.
Your teen looks to you as a model for healthy behavior, so take care of your own stress and mental health as well. Not only will then benefit from your happiness, they’ll also gain a lot from the measures you teach them to reduce and contain stress. Although they may not always seem receptive to your efforts, simply expressing warmth, support, and love will help ease stress throughout the turbulent adolescent years.