Stressed Teenagers: How To Notice?
Feeling exhausted and stressed is not just the prerogative of adults. Teens can also feel stressed. And this is more true today than for previous generations. Given their young age, adolescents may not know the strategies needed to deal with this type of situation. This, in turn, causes them sadness and even depression.
Signs to find out if your child is stressed
As a parent, it is important to pay attention to the signs that your child is exhausted and stressed. In these cases it is important to help him deal with these feelings so that he can learn to manage them in the best possible way.
- Insomnia. You suffer from insomnia when you don’t sleep well at night. Teach your children to limit the time they spend in front of a screen (phone, tablet, computer, etc.) before going to bed so that they can get a good night’s sleep.
- Greater anxiety. The inability to relax can be extremely frustrating, especially during periods of inactivity. If your teen is generally restless and anxious, this could be due to exhaustion.
- Change in eating habits. Your child may overeat or restrict himself in eating. A change in eating habits could mean that your child is feeling emotionally drained. Eating a lot of unhealthy food can cause constant mood swings and lead to other types of unwanted behaviors.
- Risky Behaviors. If your teen is experiencing alcohol or drug use for the first time, or if you suspect that they may be using these substances more frequently, it could mean that they are looking for a way to cope with stress.
- Impulsive or emotional behavior. Instead of blaming hormones for mood swings right away, we should investigate further. The causes of this behavior could be stress and accumulated fatigue. If your child experiences intense bouts of anger, frustration, sadness, or other negative emotions, they are most likely exhausted and stressed.
How can we help stressed teens?
Now that you know some characteristics of the behavior of stressed teens, it is critically important to learn how to help them so they can get better again. One strategy that many parents have successfully adopted is to ask their children if they know anyone in their class who is showing symptoms of stress or exhaustion.
Addressing the problem in this way will allow your children to respond openly and without fear of possible consequences. This way your children won’t have thoughts like: “They can’t tell my mother I’m too tired and stressed because otherwise she’ll forbid me from using the phone at night.”
Giving your child a chance to talk about the symptoms and then talk to him about how to manage that symptom is the best way to actively involve him without risking emotional withdrawal.
If your child admits that a friend is desperately trying to balance his personal and school life, provide him with strategies to cope with the situation.
For example, you can ask him: “Are there any activities that can be reduced?”, “Can you decrease the use of your phone, tablet or computer to be more rested and be able to complete your tasks ?,“ Have you created a program to see how much time you have available and how to make the most of it? ”.
Rather than over-criticizing your child for their behavior and creating conflicts, in the event that they exhibit any of the symptoms mentioned above, use it as an opportunity to talk about time management and what to prioritize so that you can reduce stress.
How to improve the time management of stressed teens
One of the best ways parents can use to try to lessen the tension stressed teens feel is to help them make decisions about how to manage their time. Being a teenager is difficult. There are so many new experiences and there is a lot of pressure. To this must be added a limited amount of experiences related to life in general.
Tell your children what steps are needed to reorganize their lives. This way they will learn to manage their time without running out. You can say things as if you were giving advice to a friend of theirs. Also, you can explain your way of approaching and doing things to them. This could somehow help in their daily life.
By giving them examples, you will emotionally bring them closer to you and your children will feel understood and accepted. Remember that it is very important not to judge or criticize them. Your children need you to help them and not be the judges of their lives.
