Modern youth do so much in their life, most of it being schoolwork. However, that hectic lifestyle contributes to 8% of the adolescent population being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Stress can wreak havoc on a teen’s mental and physical health, much like with everyone else. It only gets worse when the year-end comes around and with an avalanche of projects, activities, and exams, which earned the moniker “hell week.” Alarmingly, teens report higher levels of stress than adults, which shouldn’t be the case.
The competitive nature of society pushes the modern student to give everything they have, and sometimes probably too much, at the cost of their well-being. Time flows on by, and soon, this age’s teenagers become adults, without experiencing the joys of childhood, after all that stress brought on by years in the grueling gauntlet that is the academe. How can they best cope? Here’s how.
Make Sure You Eat A Balanced Diet.
“The food you eat can have a direct effect on your energy level, physical health, and mood. A “healthy diet” is one that has enough of each essential nutrient, contains many foods from all of the basic food groups, provides the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight, and does not have too much fat, sugar, salt, or alcohol,” as stated by Carol A. Gooch,M.S., LPC, LCDC, LMFT. Always make sure to have 3 square, balanced meals a day, and avoid relying on junk food such as chips and soft drinks as a way to sate hunger. A student running low on nutrients will fall in class, which may be the last thing you’d want to happen to you.
Maintain A Routine Sleeping Schedule.
And a healthy one. Think of sleep as an army resting for a while after an intense battle. If troops go out tired, they’ll inevitably lose, as their reflexes are stunted, their awareness is at a low, and among others. Same goes for you since your body is an army. Much like how your gadgets need appropriate time charging, you do need to do so too, between eight and a half to nine and a quarter hours. “Focus on getting restorative, quality sleep. It is hard to feel upbeat or be productive when you are sleep deprived,” suggests Melissa Welby M.D.
Get Moving.
It is really tempting to just lay down in bed or on the couch after finishing a gauntlet of hard math, literature, and science homework. Most may think exercise is an unnecessary addition to their schedules, but studies show that simple exercises amounting to 2 hours per week may do wonders for school performance.
Enjoy Quality Alone Time.
And without the burden of schoolwork. Set aside a day for yourself, indulging on things you cannot do on a regular school day. Finish that book you were reading, go watch that movie/series you always like to watch, play that hard chapter in a game, finish up that art piece you were working on, the options are endless.
Reconnect With Your Friends.
Whether physical or online, it is nice to do things with friends, even if it’s just as simple as sharing a laugh and a few words. It’s never recommended to do things alone, and the same goes for relaxation. All humans need a human element.
Have That State Of Balance.
Take on only a reasonable amount of things and manage them. Time management and prioritization are needed here.
Enjoy The Outdoors.
Take in all the sights, instead of being a shut-in. It helps with the mood and can raise your use of other senses even as little as five minutes per day may be a big help. It need be far off, as your backyard will suffice.
Just Breathe.
Breathe in, breathe out, they always say. A practical method of finding out if you’re stressed out, as well as calming yourself down, is to lie flat on the floor, with a hand over your stomach. If you feel your stomach inflate while breathing, as opposed to it rising and falling, you are about to freak out. Just repeat breathing until you can feel relaxed.
Get Some Laughs.
As many often said, laughter is the best medicine. “The idea that laughing releases tension is well understood by therapists who study the effect of laughter on behavior and mood,” according to Judith J. Wurtman Ph.D. Amidst all severe matters of varying topics, a laugh or two should be spared, as it keeps you from going over the edge. A comedy show, a joke book, or even just cracking one with a friend may prove wonders for your mood.
Zen Out.
Exercise your mind, away from all hustle and bustle. Even just a solid 5 minutes of doing nothing physically can do wonders for you, engaging in imagery and sense enhancement activities, which can help sharpen you up. Even the little things can help big.