Teens love the holidays! There’s no school, they can sleep in, they can eat junk food, and open presents. However, for some teens, the holidays can bring extreme stress and anxiety. Depending on the circumstance, stress can be highly elevated throughout the holidays.
Here are some tips on how teens can sail through the holidays with minimal stress:
Exercise and meditate:
This doesn’t mean you must schedule a two-hour gym trip each day. But, some form of movement each day will increase your mood, and even help you sleep better. Also, taking a few minutes each day to be alone, and practicing breathing, will also help keep our minds at peace. Yoga is another great resource to shred some stress.
Plan ahead your priorities:
Although it can be fun to spend time with our families during the holidays, we can miss friends. Plan ahead and dedicate some time that you can be with your friends over the holiday break. This might involve a discussion with your parents about what you’re both expecting over the holidays. If you have other things that are important to you, schedule time during the holidays to do these things. Don’t be afraid to slow down and cut back on activities that aren’t necessary.
Gratitude is everything:
We all have one thing in common; being able to find things we are grateful for. Keeping ourselves focused on those important things through the holidays can help us feel happier.
Taking some time (this can be during meditation too) to reflect on the positive parts of our lives will help decrease the negativity that we so easily can get wrapped up in during the holidays. You might even consider giving back to those in need, like donating to a homeless shelter.
The holidays can be full of thrills and fun! But, it’s also normal to feel some stress and anxiety. Using these tips will hopefully eliminate some of the negative feelings we can have during this special time of year.
(References: www.teenhealthcare.org / living.aahs.org)