At last, the weather is colder, the holidays are coming, and everything is joyful.  NOT.  Why is that, you ask?  The answer is simple.

Because along with the cold weather, holiday prep, and all around good will comes semester exams.  One could actually say that stress is an acronym for “Seasonal Tests, Reading, Exams, and Some Sleep.”  Very little sleep.

But exams are not the only stress-inducers.

Experts (in this case this means teens) say that causes of stress include, family, lack of self-esteem, romance, friend issues, time management, and all things school related.  These sort of stressors can lead to severe depression, and many teens are at a loss as to how to cope with issues like these in their lives.

Before reaching the implosion stage, there are a few things to try in order to combat stress.

1. Engage in physical activity.   Instead of moping in a bedroom or bemoaning the fates on Facebook, try moving around.  Exercise of any sort is probably the most effective way to relieve stress.  This does not mean a person has to start training for a marathon.  A simple walk around the neighborhood will do.  Or try putting on some upbeat music and dancing.  This increases endorphin which in turn, decreases bad feelings.

2. Get at least a little more sleep. This is hard to do, but necessary for health.  Lack of sleep causes a muddle of the brain, confusion in general and triggers depression and anxiety.  So maybe it is hard to finally drop off to sleep after going to bed.  Then try this:  Turn off the electronics at least an hour before bedtime.  Do not drink caffeine at night, and try to limit physical activity before retiring.

3. Do happy things. If you don’t have a hobby, get one.  Maybe you enjoy taking pictures, sewing, video gaming, etc.   Whatever it is, make sure it brings you joy.  Taking the time to do happy things, even for an hour a day, should decrease stress.

4. Try to look on the bright side. Because believe it or not, there always is a bright side.  Learning to be positive becomes a habit.  Focusing on strengths makes a person stronger.  Soon, negative thoughts will not come as easily.

5. Talk it out. Find someone you trust and talk to this.  This is so important.  Bottling up feelings does not make them go away.  Talking it out will help to get a fresh perspective on what is causing the stress.  Whomever you talk to can maybe come up with some ideas on any problems you might have.  Also never be ashamed or afraid to contact a professional.  They are trained in ways to help.

Everyone has problems and all have different ways for coping with these situations.  It is merely that some have learned better  coping skills than others.  Even with the coping techniques, there will always be stress to some extent.  It is simply a matter of you react to it that counts.