Adolescence is one of the life stages where an individual experiences changes, and one of them is how they respond to stressors. When a teenager experiences a stressor, the body reacts in different ways. For instance, a signal is sent to the brain activating two stress pathways, namely the endocrine and autonomic nervous system (De Berker et al., 2016). When the hypothalamus activates the nervous system, several involuntary body functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration are affected. The second pathway involves stimulation of pituitary gland to release cortisol chemical whose function is to increase the blood sugar to give the necessary energy for the fight or flight bodily response. Based on the theory of stress, the body is selective in response. For example, when a stressor stimulates an individual, they have to establish whether the stimulant is the source of a loss, harm, threat, challenge, or irrelevancy before activating hormones (De Berker et al., 2016). A determination that the cause for stress is harmless leads to no stress response. On the flip side, if the stressor is deemed harmful, a stress response is automatically activated, followed by a coping response.
Causes of stress can be both internal and external. External causes include demands of life, such as school, finances, and family issues, for example, divorce (Oken, Chamine, & Wakeland, 2015). Between the ages of 13-19, most teenagers are in school, trying to cope up with studies as well as the rapid changes happening to their bodies. In addition to that, they often experience significant life changes like relocating, especially when their families split, and this means they are often separated from their friends. Internal stressors can include pessimism, lack of flexibility in thinking and application of life principles, negative self-talk, and unrealistic expectations (Oken, Chamine, & Wakeland, 2015). Additionally, people who have a hard time accepting uncertainty tend to be stressed. Vulnerability in adolescents between the ages of 13-19 reflects in their behavior. More often than not, they are caused by lifestyle-related factors like poor diet, inadequate sleep, and exposure to diseases such as flu and colds. Alternatively, triggers of stress can be caused by everyday experiences, which include difficulty in schoolwork or extra-curricular activities. In other occasions, teenagers, especially the quiet ones, may get picked on and bullied by their school and classmates, making them stressed. Some of the stressors go as far as their childhood. A previous experience, for example, childhood trauma is a stress influencer every time that individual reflects on that issue (Fisher, 2015).
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When one becomes stressed, the best option is to look for ways to relieve stress. One of the mechanisms is increasing activity level. Exercising provides a distraction, particularly of internal stressors (Gloria & Steinhardt, 2016). The advisable exercises are running, walking, swimming, or dancing. Alternatively, one can connect with others. Having a face-to-face conversation with a partner or friend helps in calming down (Gloria & Steinhardt, 2016). It also allows the adolescent to laugh and get informed about current events. Learning to relax by engaging several body senses is also advisable. Although one cannot eliminate stress, one can lean toward ways to cope with bringing about a more favorable result. An individual may try yoga, meditation, and taking deep breaths help in activating the body's relaxation hormones leading to a state of restfulness (Gloria & Steinhardt, 2016). Lastly, taking a break from work, which is the primary external stressor, is an advisable way to get some rest. Therapists around the world recommend taking vacations and long weekends from time to time to reenergize, heal, and get away from life's stressors.
References
De Berker, A. O., Rutledge, R. B., Mathys, C., Marshall, L., Cross, G. F., Dolan, R. J., & Bestmann, S. (2016). Computations of Uncertainty Mediate Acute Stress Responses in Humans. Nature Communications , 7 , 10996.
Gloria, C. T., & Steinhardt, M. A. (2016). Relationships Among Positive Emotions, Coping, Resilience, and Mental Health. Stress and Health , 32 (2), 145-156.
Oken, B. S., Chamine, I., & Wakeland, W. (2015). A Systems Approach to Stress, Stressors, and Resilience in Humans. Behavioral Brain Research , 282 , 144-154.
Raposa, E. B., Laws, H. B., & Ansell, E. B. (2016). Prosocial Behavior Mitigates the Negative Effects of Stress in Everyday Life. Clinical Psychological Science , 4 (4), 691-698.
