Although it’s easy to forget sometimes in our busy lives, we were all teenagers once! Being a teenager is challenging, which makes it challenging for parents to understand how to deal with stress in your teenager. They have chaotic schedules and pressures at school. They’re navigating the world and trying to find the bridge between being a child and an adult. It’s not an easy task!

With hormones and developing brains, teenagers often feel an intense amount of stress. As parents and guardians, it’s always worth taking a few minutes to consider how your teenager may be suffering from stress and work out some simple, positive ways to help them cope and thrive!

Consider these top tips on how to deal with stress in your teenagers:

1. Create routines. Teenagers thrive on stability. Something as simple as a routine can create rhythm in the household and instill a sense of calm into their life.

• Teenagers can be unpredictable, with hormones and mood swings wreaking havoc on their feelings and behavior, so simple routines can help them feel safe and let them recognize familiarity.
  
• Try to maintain certain routines. Get your teenager to wake up at a certain time, stick to a strict sleep schedule, and encourage them to fulfill their commitments and chores. The sense of stability will help to calm and stabilize them.

2. Set aside down time. Find time in the day to sit down with your teenager and talk about the day. Make time to discuss their thoughts and feelings and engage in their interests.

• During this quality time, avoid using your phones and stay away from screens. Find out what may be concerning your teenager and focus on the art of conversation.

• In a world where young people are constantly socializing or working on school assignments, it’s important to schedule some down time.

3. Engage in enjoyable activities. Find something that you and your teenager enjoy. Pick up a new hobby together or play board games. Go for walks or even cook together.

• We all spend so much of our time glued to screens and social media, why not engage in activities together that involve socializing, exercising, or just enjoying something new?

• You could even encourage your teenager to help you around the house, giving them responsibility. Help them to feel needed and mature by involving them in your day-to-day commitments!

4. Promote discussion. Remind your teenagers that talking is healthy! If something is bothering them, have a discussion.

• Make a point of encouraging your teenager to talk about their feelings. They can write down their thoughts or have an open and frank discussion with you about how important it is to not keep things bottled up. It will fill your teenager with confidence! Your children should have an equal voice in your household to freely discuss their emotions and feelings, and it is essential for parents to create that safe space, not be the cause of furthering destructive behaviors. Yelling, screaming, and punishing will not solve anything if your teen doesn’t feel that it is a safe space to communicate, rather it will promote a further divide and loss of trust which can subsequently hinder your future relationship.

5. Stay healthy. Encouraging your young teenager to fuel their body is crucial to their wellbeing. Reduce their stress by ensuring that you cook healthy meals for them full of nutrition and goodness. Sleep is crucial too!

• Making sure that your teenager has enough sleep is crucial to both their mental development and their physical wellbeing. A good night’s sleep will refresh and revive them for whatever they may face next!

You can’t read your teenager’s mind. What you can do, however, is offer support. Ensure they have a stable routine, eat healthily, and get enough sleep. Crucially, ensure that they have time to talk to you about anything that is troubling them, so you can help reduce their stress!