Being a teenager in the 21st century isn’t easy! From exam pressure to peer pressure, it can drive us insane. Young people nowadays have been given such high expectations from parents to schools as well as society. Often it can be tough to handle, and every teenager has moments where they have a meltdown but you aren’t alone.
The pressure on teenagers can sometimes result in stress, anxiety and depression. Constant pressure can also lead to health problems and sometimes addictive behaviours or eating disorders.
A large amount of pressure can come from parents. Parents can put children under immense pressure to receive high grades throughout school and go into a specific profession. This can be somewhat unrealistic for the majority of us and can make you feel as if you are letting them down by making another career choice.
You may even have siblings who have achieved high grades and you feel obliged to follow in their footsteps. But try to remember that your individuality is key and you are not a carbon copy of anyone else. Every child has a different pathway and your originality is the best thing about you.
On top of parent and school pressure, society’s expectations of how teenagers should behave, look and dress are now proving more difficult than ever. We live in a day and age where celebrities on social media are huge role models towards teens. This can have extremely negative impacts from body image to imitating inappropriate celebrity behaviour as it is seen as acceptable. The pressure to conform to these expectations is higher than ever and can prove tough.
Here are a few tips on how to cope with it all:
- Exercise- Exercise is proven to help relieve stress and is a great way to take your mind off of the pressure build up. From half an hour to an hour a day is recommended from a run to a brisk walk or yoga; every little helps.
- Eat well- Don’t feel as if everything is too much to handle and neglect your body. It requires the nutrition provided from food to help you function day to day.
- Talk to someone- Whether it’s a friend you need to vent your stress to or a family member who has a shoulder to cry on , there will always be someone who you can voice your concern to.
- Have some ‘me’ time- Spend a day doing something you love; don’t forget to take a break in your hectic lives to stop, relax and think about yourself.
- Have fun- Your teenage years may seem like the most stressful period at the moment but remember that in years to come you will look back at it all and wish you were back there.
- If you think the pressure is piling too heavily for you to control and you need someone externally to talk to, don’t hesitate to contact us on 07590 663938 for counselling enquiries or email us info@yourcounsellingservice.co.uk. You can even check out our website http://yourcounsellingservice.co.uk.