Ask the therapist: Is your teen unable to cope with stress?

I’m a 14-year old and I already feel like there’s a lot of stress that I’m unable to cope with. Adults always say that kids have nothing to stress about, so if I feel this way, it’s not taken seriously. I wanted to know if this can have any negative impact on my life. And how can I manage my stress better? — Name Withheld

Dear writer, you can consider me an adult who takes your stress concerns seriously. It must be difficult for you to be invalidated, especially when you are seeking support.

You are in a situation where you are facing serious academic demands, while at the same time, your brain and body are still developing. It is also important for your social and emotional development to connect with peers in a meaningful way.

You will definitely benefit from managing your stress. You can accomplish this by exercising, spending quality time with your peers, eating a healthy diet, and getting good sleep every night.

An important part of alleviating stress is to structure your workload. Set enough time aside for your academic tasks. If you have trouble with your academic work, please reach out to your teachers and ask for their help.

Lastly, I suggest you reach out to your parents to see if you can help them understand your stress. It would be wonderful to have them by your side to give you the emotional support you need.

Dr Schonder is an integrated therapist at https://chmc-dubai.com