Teens have a lot of things that they need to juggle on a daily basis. From classes, sports, to working, the pile of things one has to do really adds up. This can cause kids to get depression and high anxiety. One would usually hear that your teen years are supposed to be the time of your lives but the amount of things that are put on teenagers makes life a complete drag.
There are many different types of stress that one can get. First, there’s acute stress. This comes from pressures from the recent past that do not usually last a long time. This kind of stress comes in small doses and may be exciting to deal with, but when there is too much coming at once it is very exhausting. Since this is a short-term form of stress there are not as many symptoms as long-term stress. Teens may get muscular tensions, anxiety or even unusual bowel movements. They may get this stress from a project that is due soon or a fight that they are having with their friends.
“I have a lot of small things that stress me out during the day such as homework or just my mom putting up a fight with me,” said Nina Gutierrez, a Batavia High School student. This is what most teenagers feel throughout the regular day. It’s safe to remember that having stress is not always a bad thing!
Another form of stress is episodic acute stress. This form of stress just puts teens in complete chaos. This stress comes in short spurts but when it comes it messes everything up. Cardiologists Meter Friedman and Ray Rosenman have separated this form of stress into two categories, type A and B. Type A is categorized as having excessive competitive drive, being aggressive, having no patience and always having a crazy sense of time urgency. This kind of behavior usually hits teens while in their workplace, that can be school or a job. Type B of this form of stress has the complete opposite personality traits. Another form of this stress comes from ceaseless worry. If you’re calling someone a “worry wart,” they probably have this type of stress.
The last type of stress, which is the most common type, is chronic stress. This is most common in adults but teens also have it. Recently, more people have chronic stress. This is very deadly because it affects you everyday. One may get chronic stress from family problems, a bad group of friends or even just insecurity. Most people who have chronic stress started forgetting that it’s there and they get used to it. When seeing someone like this you may not even be able to notice what’s going on in their personal life just because they have to deal with that constant stress every hour of their lives. This can cause severe anxiety and depression.
When seeing someone with chronic stress, talk to them. See how they’re doing and how you could help them. School teachers notice what teens go through everyday and are always there to help when asked to be assisted. “I think that being disorganized stresses teens, as they tend to procrastinate and responsibilities add up,” said Marybeth Skillman, a Batavia High School teacher. “I think teens should prioritize what’s important. Most importantly, they should communicate with an adult so that the adult can help.”
No matter what happens stress will never go away. There are different forms of stress so if one of these apply to you don’t worry. Think of ways to calm the mind. Go to a yoga class or hang out by a bonfire. There’s always a way to conquer obstacles in your life.