Stress among teenagers

Busy and modern lifestyle is what most people blame why they are stressed. Stress is known to be a contributor to many emotional disorders and somatic illness. When stress is induced as a result of the individual’s not being able to meet his needs or demands and satisfy his desires, conflict results. Frustrations occur when a need is not met. There are many reasons why a teenager gets stressed. Reasons like changing schools, high expectations placed upon them by, negative feelings about oneself/low self-esteem, not fitting in socially, family dysfunction, pressures due to grades and homework and being ahead or behind in physical development are usually the main causes why.

Stress is simply a fact of nature that forces from the inside or outside world affecting the individual. In general, stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors include the physical environment, your relationships with others, your home, and all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you're confronted with on a daily basis. Internal factors determine your body's ability to respond to, and deal with, the external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors which influence your ability to handle stress include your nutritional status, overall health and fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest you get. But most teenagers are having problems with the external factor. 

External factors of stress don’t just affect you physically but also mentally. When we are stressed, most probably, our personality is also affected. There are common behavioral symptoms that don’t even know that they are. In most teenagers, eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little and isolating yourself from others are the most common behavioral changes that usually occur. They tend to be irritably and feel very depressed. Our relationships to other people are also at risk because we became very inconsiderate. Cognitive Symptoms includes memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, seeing only the negative and constant worrying. The individual responds to stress can affect the individual as well as their environment. 

When we are stressed the neurotransmitters, responsible for sending and receiving messages between cells, namely Serotonin, Noradrenaline and Dopamine are depleted. Serotonin is responsible for setting waking and sleeping patterns and usually the first messenger to begin to fail under distress, and this failure will cause sleeplessness. Noradrenaline regulates our energy levels and usually when this neurotransmitter begins to fail, overly stressed teens will begin to feel a lack of energy, and they won’t feel like they have the energy to get anything done. Dopamine runs the pleasure center of the brain. Its failure will cause an inability to take pleasure in things that one used to enjoy. These three are the first affected parts in our brain when we get stressed. 

Fortunately, there are effective ways to prevent it. One way is to, teach yourself how to focus on things you can control and letting go of things you cannot control. Why waste your time on worrying things that you can’t control? Rehearsing and practicing feared situations is also helpful to control our fears. For example, you have a stage-fright. Maybe you can practice at home and pretend to be talking in the public while facing mirror. You should learn how to accept yourself as you are and identifying unique strengths and building on them, but realizing no one is perfect. Always try to maintain positive feelings about yourself. No one needs to be perfect to have a happy life. Don’t think every negative thought because this may just bring you down. Take a break from stressful situations. Whenever you are in a stressful situation, always find time to do a hobby. In my case, I listen to music to soothe my brain. If the given ways didn’t work, try sharing your problems with other people whom you trust. Sharing your problems to other people may comfort you and may also enlighten your mind that you are not alone. Because this may promote a social circle that will automatically help you in times of stress. And above all, enjoy life's simple pleasures. Be happy on what you have.