COPING WITH STRESS IN MIDDLE AND LATE ADOLESENCESTRESS AND ITS
SOURCES DURING ADOLESCENCE
By: Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter (2014)Stress is the body‘s
reaction to a challenge, which could be anything from outright physical danger to asking
someone for a date or trying out for a sports team. The human body responds to stressors by
activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal
glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into
the bloodstream. The hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and
metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups,
pupils dilate to improve vision, and the liver releases stored glucose to increase the body‘s
energy. This physical response to stress kicks in much more quickly in teens than in adults
because the part of the brain that can calmly assess danger and call off the stress
response, the pre-frontal cortex, is not fully developed in adolescence. The stress response
prepares a person to react quickly and perform well under pressure. It can help teens be on
their toes and ready to rise to a challenge. The stress response can cause problems,
however, when it overreacts or goes on for too long. Long-term stressful situations, like
coping with a parent‘s divorce or being bullied at school, can produce a lasting, low-
level stress that can wear out the body‘s reserves, weaken the immune system, and make an
adolescent feel depleted or beleaguered. We all experience both ―good stress‖ and ―bad
stress.‖ Good stress is that optimal amount of stress that results in our feeling energized and
motivated to do our best work. Good stress encourages us to develop effective coping
strategies to deal with our challenges, which ultimately contributes to our resilience. Bad
stress occurs when our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed by the stress and we do not
function at our best. The same event can affect children and adults in very individual
ways—one person may see a carnival ride as thrilling and another may see it as a major
stressor. Stress can become distress when we are unable to cope or when we believe
that we do not have the ability to meet the challenge. The solution is to adapt, change,
and find methods to turn that bad stress into good stress.
SIGNS OF STRESS IN ADOLESCENT ARE EVIDENT IN THEIR EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOR,
THINKING, AND BODY By: Raising Children Network (Australia) (2020)
Changes in behavioras adolescencewhen stressed consist of:
not want to take part in activities she usually enjoys, refuse to go to school, or not do
as well at school
seem nervous or anxious
sleep too little or too much
eat more ̳comfort food‘ than usual, or eat less
drink more caffeine products, or take over-the-counter painkillers, use alcohol or other
drugs, or gamble
behave aggressively.
Changes in emotional as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
be cranky, moody, cry or feel sad, down or hopeless, feel that ̳nothing is going right‘, or have
emotional ̳ups and downs‘ for no obvious reason
worry about missing out on what his peers are up to
find it hard to relax or switch off, especially from social media.
Changes in physical as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
feel sick –for example, she might have headaches, shoulder pain, stomach aches or jaw
painget frequent colds or infections
lose or gain weight
have panic attacks, dizzy spells, fast breathing or pins and needles
have changes in her period.
Changes in thinking as an adolescence when stressed consist of:
finding it hard to concentrate and stay focused
having trouble remembering things, organising, planning or making decisions
making snap decisions or errors in judgment.
COMMON TRIGGERS OF TEEN STRESS
By: Smith, Kathleen PhD, LPCAll
teens are different and stress can be triggered by a number of factors. The results of the
Stress in America Survey show that there are some common sources of stress in the teen
population. The best way to understand how your teen processes stress and where the stress
stems from is to engage in open and honest communication about stress. It‘s important for
parents to normalize the concept of stress and empower teens to utilize adaptive coping
strategies.Consider these potential sources of stress for teens:
Academic Stress
From grades to test scores to applying to college, adolescent experience high levels of
school-related stress. Many adolescent worry about meeting academic demands, pleasing
teachers and parents, and keeping up with their classmates. Poor time management
skills or feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work can play into academic stress as well.
Social Stress
Adolescentplace a high value on their social lives. They spend the majority of their waking hours
among their peers, and finding and keeping their tribes can include stress at times. Bullying
and subtle instances of relational aggression are clear sources of stress on teens, but
learning to manage healthy conflict and work through romantic relationships are no easy
tasks for the developing teen. Peer pressure is an additional stress during the teen years. In an
effort to establish and maintain friendships, teens can engage in behavior outside of their
comfort zones to appease their peers.
Family Discord
Stress trickles down, and anything that impacts the family can affect the adolescent.
Unrealistic expectations, marital problems, strained sibling relationships (including
sibling bullying), illness in the family, and financial stress on the family can all trigger a spike
in adolescent stress
.World Events
School shootings, acts of terrorism, and natural disasters worry parents, but they also
trigger stress for adolescent. Adolescent are often privy to the 24-hour news cycle, and
hearing bits and pieces of scary news, both domestic and abroad, can leave adolescent
wondering about their safety and the safety of their loved ones.
Traumatic Events
Death of a family member or friend, accidents, sickness, or enduring emotional or physical
abuse can have a lasting impact on adolescent stress levels. It‘s also important to note that
teen dating violence affects approximately 10% of teens.
Significant Life Changes
Like adults, adolescent experience stress due to significant life changes. Moving, starting
a new school, and changes in the makeup of the family (including divorce and blended
families) can trigger stress for adolescent. Not knowing how to cope with big changes is
overwhelming and can be confusing for the developing adolescent.
PERSONAL WAYS OF COPING STRESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS
By: Nevada Learning Academy (2020)
Everyone is affected by stress at one time or another and it anfeel overwhelming.
With the right tools, as an adolescent you can learn to manage stress before it takes a toll on
your health. Managing daily stress an also lead to a more overall positive outlook on your life
and well-being.
Move your body
Physical activity is one of the most effective stress busters. That doesn‘t mean you have to go
for a jog if you hate running. Find activities you enjoy and build them into your routine such as
yoga, hiking, biking, skateboarding or walking. The best types of physical activities are
those that have a social component. Whether you‘re into team sports, or prefer kayaking
or rollerblading with a friend or two, you‘re more likely to have fun —and keep at it —if you‘re
being active with friends.
Get enough sleep
Between homework, activities and hanging with friends, it can be hard to get enough
sleep, especially during the school week. Ideally, adolescents should get nine hours a
night. Most teens, though, are getting less. According to APA‘s Stress in America Survey, teens
say they sleep an average of just 7.4 hours on a school night. That‘s unfortunate, since sleep is
key for both physical and emotional well-being. To maximize your chance of sleeping
soundly, cut back on watching TV or engaging in a lot of screen timein the late evening
hours. Don‘t drink caffeine late in the day and try not to do stimulating activities too close to
bedtime.
Strike a balance
School is important, but it‘s not everything. When you plan your week, schedule time to
get schoolwork done, but also schedule time to have fun. When it‘s time to enjoy yourself,
try not to worry about school or homework. Focus on having fun.
Enjoy yourself
Besides physical activities, find other hobbies or activities that bring you joy. That might
be listening to music, going to the movies or drawing. Make a point to keep doing these things
even when you‘re stressed and busy.
Let yourself shine
Spend some time really thinking about the things you‘re good at, and find ways to do more of
those things. If you‘re amath ace, you might tutor a younger neighbor who‘s having trouble
with the subject. If you are a spiritual person, you might volunteer at your church. If you‘re
artistic, take a photography class. Focusing on your strengths will help you keep your stresses
in perspective.
Talk through it
It‘s so much easier to manage stress when you let others lend a hand. Talk to a parent, teacher
or other trusted adult. They may be able to help you find new ways to manage stress. Or they
may help put you in touch with apsychologist who is trained in helping people make healthy
choices and manage stress.
