Many young people daily live stressful lives. Mentally and physically, they are tasked everyday to the point of exhaustion. The period of one's youth should be lived buoyant and invigorated. Youth is synonymous to zeal and zest, so, it is abnormal for a youth to be constantly uninspired, unimaginative, spiritless, tired and dull.
Teenagers are facing more stress in today's world than adults did. Pressures to excel academically and meet up with the increasing high marks for university or other college admissions. Students are worried about their social status, judging themselves by the excessive importance placed on social media popularity. They must have more 'friends and followers' than the next mate. There is the constant pressure of 'belonging' which a teen faces. Also, stressors could come from family members, romantic relationships, excessive competition in sports and other recreational activities. The list goes on.
One of our readers told me how she lived daily in stress over her university choice. She had made up her mind to do a certain course at University of Lagos, but her parents wanted her at another college, reading a course she didn't like. This put her under so much pressure, till family members intervened.
There is really no quick fix to coping with stress for no one knows your situation like you do. But, you can minimise stress by practicing the following behaviours and techniques:
1. Eat healthy meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Reduce the amount of sugary foods you eat as these make your energy levels go up and down. Fruits and vegetables keep you stabilized.
2. Maintain a daily routine and schedule. When you keep to time and plan ahead your day's activities, you will have less anxiety in your day.
3. Get Physical. Nothing beats stress and depression like exercise. Go for a run, or, play some sports with your mates. This will keep your body and mind healthy.
4. Relax. Between schoolwork, social life, and home, adolescents have little time to get proper sleep. They tend to stay up late at night and get out of the house very early. Relaxation is necessary to de-stress. When the body is relaxed, the mind also relaxes and rejuvenates.
5. Do things you enjoy (for example: artwork, reading, dancing, listening to music).
6. Keep a positive mind. When we are stressed, we tend to think about all the things that can go wrong in our lives. We tend to worry about what we don’t have and what we cannot do. Stress is the result of negative thinking, and focusing on all that is wrong only makes things more difficult.
7. Talk to someone about your worries.Talk is medicinal and one of the most effective stress relievers too. Also, talking about a problem or discussing will also help you find a solution for it sooner.




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