Things that YOU can do to help teenagers conquer stress and anxiety

This was sent out to parents of teenagers from our AMAZING Wichita County Youth Minister, Kevin Larson. I just had to pass it on to all of you.

Stress has become a way of life for most American teenagers. They’re bombarded from every angle with pressures and expectations, leaving too little time for unwinding and resting. When Group Magazine asked 20,000 Christian teenagers about their top needs, the third most common response was “I need help managing or dealing with the stresses in my life.” Pennsylvania youth minister Jana Snyder said of today’s kids, “I sense an overwhelming burden to be successful and to be busy doing 100 different things everyday.”
In a recent Associated Press/MTV survey, 13- to 17-year-olds said school is their main worry. Stress, not
relationships, is the hottest topic of conversation at school, says one teenager. Another adds, “I’m justreally overwhelmed. I even compete with my parents about who’s stressing more.”
Child psychiatrist Thomas McCormack suggests several ways that parents can help ease teenagers’academic stress. First, discuss your expectations. Assure kids that you’re proud of them when they trytheir best, no matter the outcome. Second, stay involved. Show interest in your teenagers’ classes,extracurricular activities, and schedules. Be available to help or talk when needed. Finally, watch for suddendeclines in academic performance. These could indicate a learning disorder or emotional distress (such as depression and anxiety) that requires professional evaluation.
Read on to discover more insights about helping teenagers manage life’s stress.
Some stress is inevitable, but stressingout is optional. Here are some expert tipsthat teenagers—and parents—can use tomanage a stressful situation:
Pray, turning your worries over to God.Confide your stressed-out feelings to a trustedadult.Exercise to release tension and to benefitfrom your body’s endorphins.Get enough sleep to reduce irritability.Eat regularly. Avoid junk food and sugar, as well as “emotional eating.”Avoid caffeine—it can increase anxietyAvoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs.Take a bath or shower.Pause and do some deep breathing.Keep a journal to help process your experiences and feelings.Find a new hobby to enjoy together. Remember the worst-case scenario. For testanxiety, kids could ask, “What’s the worstthing that can happen if I bomb the test?”Break large tasks into little pieces.Refuse to demand perfection from yourself or others.
Here’s a snapshot of teenagers’ experiences withstress:
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Teenage girls are 55% more likely than teenage boys to say they pressure themselves to get good grades in school. And less than half of the pressured group of girls believes their parents realize how stressed out they are.
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Although one major study found that kids from middle-income households experience more stress than their peers, another found that affluent kidsare the most stressed, for fear of “falling back.”(AP/MTV; New York Times/CBS)
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An estimated 10% of teenagers suffer from ananxiety disorder.(teenhelp.com)
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Highly stressed teenagers are twice as likely as other teenagers to smoke, drink, get drunk, and use illegal drugs.(alcoholism.about.com)
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Parents need to say NO to unrealistic activites and accomplishments.

Thank you, Kevin!!!