A survey by the American Psychological Association in 2014 revealed that teenagers are more stressed than adults, which is quite alarming for parents. Teen stress is not uncommon. But it can and should be dealt with before it worsens. Even though there may be many causes of stress in adolescence, they can be handled with a little patience from parents. Here, MomJunction discusses everything that you need to know about stress among teenagers.
When a person is facing a perceived or imminent threat or is extremely stressed, the automatic ‘flight or fight’ response is triggered. This response plays a vital role in how we deal with stress: it prepares the body to either fight the threat or flee from it.More often than not, it is the everyday things that can be stressful. If your teenageris stressed, it could be because of one or more stressors listed below.
* Academic stressThe pressure to perform better academically is one of the most common causes of high school stress. Teenagers often worry about a lot of things like completing school work, projects, and reports, studying for an exam, and about which colleges they should apply. This kind of pressure is good when it encourages your teenager to get better grades at school. But if it is affecting their cognitive abilities and taking a toll on their health, it is a concern.
* Physical stressPhysical changes can also be a cause of stress among teenagers. Adolescents go through some emotional and physical changes which can leave them confused and stressed. Not knowing what is happening to their body and why they feel a certain way during pubertycan be a cause of such tension. Also, excessive strain on the body can leave your teen tired and mentally stressed.
* Social stressSocial life is paramount for teenagers, and they could have a persistent need to be accepted by their peers by being in the popular ‘groups’, attending parties and hanging out with their friends. They could give more importance to friends than family.Peer pressure is a social stressor, where teenagers have a need to be accepted by their peers and are motivated to try new things such as drinking, smoking, and doing drugs. They are under constant pressure to dress in a certain way, speak the teen lingo and be ‘cool’. More often than not, all this implies that teenagers have to put aside their true selves and pretend to be someone they are not, which can be a very stressful experience.
* Stress due to family problemsAnything that affects the family impacts the teenager directly. Unreasonable expectations by parents, marital discord between parents, sickness of a family member, or strained relationship between siblings are all the factors that can affect a teenager.Sibling rivalry is yet another family problem that can stress the teenager. Differences between siblings are normal, but if it goes up a few notches and turns into war, it can be stressful for both the parties involved. Teenagers may develop feelings of jealousy and hatred for their younger siblings who get more attention from the parents. Avoid taking sides with the kids to prevent such a situation.
* Financial stressMoney isn’t something that worries only the adults. Teenagers are more stressed about finances because they cannot do much about it. Studies show that kids from low-income families deal with poverty-related stress almost all the time and become troubled teens and adults.If your family is going through financial problems, that can also be a stressor for your teenager. Teenagers may worry about college tuition and scholarships, which can be very stressful. While it is okay to let your teen know if you are trying to make both ends meet, do not burden them with too many details.