July is the month for rejuvenation, family time, and the opportunity to regroup. If you are the parent of a teenager, you may be struggling to find balance between vacation, family and building your child’s extracurricular portfolio. The balance of the extracurriculars, along with taking rigorous classes to build your child’s competitive edge for college applications has become expected for this generation of teenagers. Along with this expectation, stress and anxiety have also become common with today’s youth.
Stress and anxiety are normal emotions that everyone experiences from time to time. However, teenagers are more vulnerable due to their own physical and emotional changes.
To be more specific, anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. It can be mild or severe and can be constant or come and go. Anxiety can be caused by stress from too much pressure, self doubt and even one’s opinion of their self image. Though anxiety is common when managed, when not managed, anxiety can bloom to much more serious health issues and interfere with day to day activities.
Teenagers commonly experience stress from several sources. School, body image, relationships and their future are the most common trigger points. Parents may want to be aware of these four arenas:
1. School: Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to do well in school. They may feel pressure from their parents, teachers, and peers to get good grades.
2. Relationships: Teenagers are also going through a lot of changes in their relationships with their parents, friends, and romantic partners. These changes can be stressful.
3. Body image: Teenagers are often concerned about their appearance. They may feel pressure to look a certain way, which can lead to stress and anxiety.
4. Future: Teenagers are also starting to think about their future. They may be worried about college, their career, and their relationships. These worries can lead to stress and anxiety.
The signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety in teenagers can vary from person to person. Parents can support their teen by first being aware of the common signs and symptoms which include:
Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in sleep patterns
Changes in appetite
Headaches
Stomachaches
Muscle tension
Fatigue
Irritability
Restlessness
Feeling on edge
Panic attacks
Social withdrawal
Thoughts of self-harm
As a parent, we want to be there for our child to support and encourage, but also to help them stay the course of their college and career dreams. This can be overwhelming. Next month I will offer helpful tools for you to use as you prepare your teen for their next academic year. If you can’t wait, please reach out to me, principal of EYHLifeCoach.
