Your teenage years are perhaps the most important years of your life. This is the time where most of your growing up takes place, meaning massive changes are going to happen. Whilst this concept may sound scary, it’s something everyone must go through. However, for some, there can be a variety of pressures that surround them, leading to overwhelming. This blog will explore how to handle pressure as a teenager.
Pressure. We’ve all experienced it. Some more than others but one thing is guaranteed, it can be difficult to overcome. Especially as a teen.
Growing up is complex and sees young people go through massive changes they need to be able to adapt to.
What can cause pressure for teenagers?
There are many causes of pressure for teenagers. Here are just some ways you might have found pressure within your life:
- The jump to university after school: Whether it’s starting at a whole new place, in a different environment with unfamiliar faces and friendship groups or even the idea of moving away from home, this jump can be daunting.
- The need to perform well: This could be on tests and in sports or musical instrument playing.
- Succeeding and achieving
- Subject choices: Choosing the subjects that will shape your career path at such a young age can be overwhelming.
- Making parents proud: None of us wants to let our parents down so we apply pressure to ourselves in order to maintain the ‘perfect’ view.
- Peer pressure: We all can be guilty of buckling under peer pressure, through fear of our friends judging us, or even worse, falling out with us.
- Social media: social media is everyone’s highlight reel, that doesn’t stop the mounting pressures of feeling like you need to be better than you are, or as flawless as influencers.
How to handle pressure as a teenager
The likelihood is, you’ve experienced one or more of the above causes of pressure in your life. Don’t worry. It’s something we all naturally go through as we grow and learn who we are.
What’s important is understanding how to handle these pressures. Once we understand them, we can move past them to prevent it all from affecting our daily life.
Are you finding yourself getting bogged down with pressure that’s causing you to experience feelings of anxiety and stress?
Here are some things you can do to reduce how much pressure you let into your life:
- Try to find a routine that works for YOU – Finding a routine that compliments your daily life is a productive way of keeping out stress. There will always be some form of pressure in our lives, but with a routine, we become organised and prepared to face it. Whether that routine involves waking up earlier, exercising every day, or setting out times to do work, forming a habit will only help you.
- Invest time in recreational activities – Don’t be afraid to take a step back. Invest your time into hobbies and interests you have that don’t relate to your work or school life. These outlets will become the safe space that you turn to. Use them to recharge your batteries and escape for a little while. This could be anything from reading to painting or running. Find something that makes you happy and enjoy it. Make it your own.
- Establish a support group – I cannot stress this one enough. Don’t try to go through everything in life alone. Sometimes, you need a helping hand or someone to lean on when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Whilst it’s common for teenagers to avoid talking to parents, there are plenty of other support groups you can form. From friends to pets, having people or loved ones around to comfort you in times where you’re feeling heightened periods of pressure will help you bounce back quicker.
What I can do to help
Unfortunately, stress is something we all face at some point in our lives. Whilst it may be daunting and at times overwhelming, it is manageable and preventable. Stress only exists because we let it exist.
So, it’s time to find new ways of handling pressure before anxiety and stress can manifest. By following these top tips, you are well on your way to building a healthy mindset and avoiding unwanted stress.
Just remember, there will be hard days, but there will always be tomorrow. Your teenage years are some of the best years of your life, so enjoy them!
If you think you’d like some support on your journey, I would like to invite you to work with me. There is no shame in asking for help. I’m here to help you discover new ways of coping and using strategies that will help you build a successful and happy future.