Do you ever have days when you feel out of control? Every teen goes through stress. Many things can cause you to stress. Anything from school work to family responsibilities.
STRESS
Stress less I think yes
Do you ever have days when you feel out of control? Do you ever feel overwhelmed at all the expectations on your life? Do you ever feel as though you just want to stop being so busy?
After a long day at school, coming home, having to race to get ready for work, not getting home until 9 and having school work getting loaded onto me, I usually end up rather stressed. Sometimes I get so stressed that I just want to come home and scream in my mums face. But I just have to follow some easy peasy tips to calm me down.
Every teen goes through stress. Many things can cause you to stress. Anything from school work to family responsibilities. There are many different things that can be done to reduce stress. Here are some suggestions that I have found really helpful in my busy life:
Meditate
Meditating is simple. If you do it for just 5 minutes a day it can reduce stress. “Research suggests that daily meditation may alter the brain’s neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress,” says psychologist Robbie Hartman.
Shut your eyes. Relax your jaw. Straighten your back. Relax your shoulders. Take three deep breaths. Follow your breathing. Meditate for 5 minutes. Don’t let any thoughts take over your inner being, just let them float over your head and concentrate on your breathing.
Breathe deeply
Take 5 minutes out to focus on your breathing. “Those who operate in a stressed state all the time might be a little shocked how hard it is to control the breath,” Pacheco says.
To start, inhale for four seconds then exhale for four seconds all through your nose. After you have mastered four seconds, you can aim for six to eight seconds per breath.
Tune into your body
This one is best done before you fall asleep when you are lying in bed.
Close your eyes and pick a beginning point on your body (usually the toes). Concentrate on whatever sensations you feel in your toes and make an effort to relax any tense muscles and release any tightness. Once your toes are fully relaxed move on to your feet and repeat the tuning process. Continue along your body moving up towards your calves, knees, thighs, buttocks, tummy, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, neck, face and top of your head. Take as long as you need. Once you have finished the tuning of each body part focus on your body as a whole and enjoy the feeling of calmness and looseness you have achieved.
“Try your best to not hurry the process and enjoy the sensation that you attain” says Mr. Hartman
Start a stress journal
A stress journal is a way that you can identify the stressors in your life and can organize a way to deal with them. Every time you get a bout of stress, write it down in your journal. Soon you will notice patterns and common themes. Include in your journal a list of:
- What caused your stress?
- How you felt -physically and emotionally?
- How you responded?
- What you did to make yourself feel better?
Exercise
Exercise is actually one of the best ways to reduce stress! Stress releases chemicals into your body that make you feel tense. Your muscles feel all tight, your heart pumps faster and your blood pressure goes up. Exercise removes those yucky chemicals out of your body.
Choose exercise that you enjoy. The sort of activity that reduces your stress best relies on your lifestyle. Jump rope, going for a jog around the block, walking the dog are some decent examples of some chilled exercise routines. Make sure you choose an activity you will enjoy!
Not every day is going to be perfect. We are all going to have stressful days but these tips are just to help reduce the amount of stress in your lives.