13 Going On 30? More Like 18 Going On 40.
By Maggie Lawrence
Stress.
Most of us feel it in some way or another. Those who aren’t affected by it need to start revealing their secrets as to how they manage it and some of us feel it so much that even just reading the word makes us cringe.
Shippensburg University student Josie Dress is willing to admit that she knows what this feels like. “Sometimes it feels as if I have way too much stress for my age and where I’m at with my life,” Dress admits. “As soon as I get one assignment done I find myself gaining three more to stress about.”
She’s not wrong to assume she’s under too much stress for her age. In fact, The American Psychological Association has a lot to say about stress; particularly in reference to young people. They produced a survey in 2013 and found that young people reportedly feel they are experiencing unhealthy amounts of stress for their age; specifically during the school year.1
In another survey for adults and teens, it was reported that teens’ stress levels topped adults’ average stress levels.2 The most worrisome part is that a majority of young people don’t realize how their health is being affected in these situations. In fact, Dr. Norman B. Anderson said that “we need to provide teens with better support and health education at school and home, at the community level and in their interactions with health-care professionals.”2
Young people need to be familiarized with how high and long term stress can cause many physical and mental issues including anxiety, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, heart disease, and obesity.1 Furthermore, its important to know how to manage stress and maintain a healthy well-being:
Get Physical2
Not that kind of physical. We’re talking yoga, hiking, walking, climbing, sports, etc. If you’re one of those people who hates working out at the gym, then find something that peaks your interest while you’re active. For some people, running is enough. Find something to do with a friend or a few. That’s a good way to make it enjoyable and keep up on it.
Beauty Sleep2
It actually has some truth behind it. We all know how tough it is to get enough sleep in college sometimes, but it’s crucial to keeping your mind and body in check. So, cut back on you use of TV, computers, and phones before bed, try not to get your Starbucks or Dunkin’ fix in too late, and stay away from any exhilarating activities too close to bed time.
Balancing Act1
As hard as it can be to believe sometimes, school isn’t everything.1 Schedule an adequate amount of time to get your work done, but make sure you’re scheduling time for you too. Your brain works better when it’s not fogged up with a constant flow of work. 1 When asked what she does to relax, Dress says she likes to play video games and makes sure she schedules time with friends at least once a week.
Reach out1
Stress isn’t always something you can manage alone. It’s important to let others in when you start to feel bogged down by the weight of it all. There are people who will always be willing to take on some of the burden and help you find new ways to cope, whether that be a parent, professor, counselor, or even just a friend.
1 Teen and Stress: How to Keep Stress in Check. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-teens.aspx
2 Bethune, S. (2014, April). Teen stress rivals that of adults. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/teen-stress.aspx