Teenagers & Stress: Methods for Relaxation

Stress affects us all. For many teenagers, dealing with the daily stress of high school academic performance and peer pressure creates early health complications in the form of cardiovascular disorder which can impact a teenager's health in a variety of areas.

For many teenagers, the pressures of performing academically well can often lead to great stress with many teenagers suffering the early signs and symptoms of eating disorders, anxiety and even depression. As a result, these same teens may develop physical complications including high blood pressure, abnormal blood glucose levels and even obesity. As parents, assisting our teenagers in finding ways in which to remedy stress at school will provide for not only immediate health improvements but also instill the importance of stress relief as they head into college and career.

Relaxation techniques involve the absence of physical, emotional and mental tension and provide great opportunities for teenagers to reverse the adverse health complications associated with stress. One such relaxation technique, involving prayer or meditation, is growing in great popularity among high school teenagers. In fact, many physical education classes are offering lessons in relaxation, even where prayer in schools is not acceptable.

In addition to meditation relaxation techniques, high school physical education programs are also teaching high school students the importance of relaxation using hand warming techniques in which the students are permitted to sit, in silence, for up to 30 minutes while rubbing their hands and practicing imagery, listening to the slow beat of their own hearts. This technique, itself, is an excellent practice in relaxation for students who are preparing for state standardized tests or final exams.