Stress and anxiety on a regular basis is not an uncommon thing for teenagers. The anxiety might be due to the final exam they are going to take or due to the speech they are going to deliver in their English lecture or maybe due to any other reason. It is absolutely normal to feel this way. What we need to find are ways to cope with stress in a healthy way. When a teen is anxious and doesn’t know how to deal with it, it may eventually turn out to be a huge problem. This article will help you and your teenager deal with anxiety. Have a look!
Take a time out
When you have a certain ambiguity regarding an issue, it’s next to impossible to think clearly and certainly not when your mind is preoccupied with overwhelming tension and anxiety. You feel an adrenaline rush that would leave your heart thumping with a vigor. When you are feeling this way, the first thing you should be doing is to calm yourself physically.
Do something that can possibly distract you from the worry. Take a small walk or make yourself a cup of coffee or if you can sleep, take a small nap. When you have a calm mind and body, you will be in a far better position to decide what is best for you.
What is the worst that can happen?
When you are worried about something, say a relationship issue or a work or some presentation you are supposed to give, try to think about the worst case scenario. What could it be? Even if a relation is turning out to be a train wreck or if a presentation goes horribly wrong, there is every chance that the world is not going to end there. If you are still wondering what is the worst thing that can happen, let me tell you. It is having a panic attack. That is the last thing you would like to have when you are dealing with something important.
Do not fight the feelings of a racy heart and sweaty palms during a panic attack. Do not distract yourself. Feel the anxiety and let the panic seep in. Stay where ever you are. Placing your palm on your stomach and feeling the air going in and out of your lungs can soothe you. This might take quite some time but our objective is to cope with anxiety and stress.
Get real
Very often people have some dark and irrational fears that they might fail no matter what. You might find a panic stricken stranger who would have to walk down an empty, dark boulevard just because he was jumped a long while ago. Frankly, the chances of that happening again would be very low and that does not change the person’s mind. This is because the mind tends to be discombobulated some times.
Similarly, you can see a person blushing every time he/she feels self conscious. You can easily assume that he treats himself as a big failure which makes him more upset. Blushing is normal in stressful situations but not realizing this fact is not.
Don’t expect perfection
Some people tend to develop a black-and-white perfectionist thinking which is quite dangerous as you might end up suffering anxiety disorders or, even worse, you might end up having borderline personality disorder. Do not expect everything to be perfect as nothing in this world is really perfect.
Life is full of stress and is messy. If you think that your life is the only one with problems, you are probably wrong. Not only teenagers, but every body faces the same problems. It is only that elders have more maturity and understanding that can help them cope with anxiety. Life is what you make it. So, have some patience to see the anxiety through.
Combat anxious thoughts
Cut down and fight anxious thoughts on a day to day basis. You’ve got to fight your emotions which can mislead you. A teenager suffering from social anxiety thinks that no one will ever like him/her. So the teenager might find it very difficult to meet new people and carry forward his/her social life. All the teenager needs to do is fight those anxious thoughts and start socializing. If you are suffering from social anxiety, try moving out. I am sure you will have people who like you and accept the way you are.
Go back to the basics
A teenager suffering from anxiety must adopt a healthy life style. All you have to do is to find a way out to deal with the problem. Practice some relaxation techniques. Try some breathing exercises that can help you cope with stress. Try to practice yoga and meditation.
Try visualizing a place where you feel safe and secure from anxiety and stress. Try to have a engage your imagination which can facilitate peace of mind. This will help you in dealing with the problem for the time being. Try to work out regularly and this will keep your mind and body fit. Have a healthy diet and try the age old concept, sleep well. Do not turn to drugs and alcohol. They do provide momentary relief but they are a crutch and not a solution.
Reward yourself
Finally, reward yourself when you have your success. Do what it takes to make you happy. Have a candle lit bath, watch your favorite movie, go on a walk, talk to your friends, go to a concert, read a book. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself happy.
Finally, you’ve got to realize that life is what you make of it. It is indeed quite unpredictable but you will have to face the problems like a determined soldier. Good luck!
