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There is a long assignment due and it is worth a big portion of the grade. You haven't started it yet and have been pushing it back, intimidated by the amount of work. This leads to procrastination and stress. The deadline is coming up soon but you just can't bring yourself to begin. The longer you wait the less time you have, thus increasing your stress.

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When you are stressed for long periods of time, or if the stress is very intense, you will experience many symptoms, some more extreme or dangerous than others. Here are a couple examples.

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It's important to recognize these situations where stress can build up in order to properly manage it. Stress can induce feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, anger, and other strong emotions. In this scenario, feelings such as:

-anxiety
-tired
-anger
-annoyance
-irritation

can be created from the stress.

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is the ability to control ones emotions, actions, behaviors, and thoughts in a situation where intense emotions may be felt/provoked. It is important to have strong self management for many reasons, some include: safety, integrity, righteous, and just general wellbeing.

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is a feeling of mental or physical tension that is stimulated by a source. Stress can take a toll on the body and can ignite symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, and mood swings. Stress can also come in two different categories, distress and eustress. Distress is stress that negatively impacts you, while eustress is stress that can positively impact you.

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is negative stress. Distress can not only cause negative effects to your mental health, but also physical, and other health categories. Examples of distress is a tough financial situation, a loss of a loved one, or stress from a huge workload. It is important to clear your head and to not cloud your mind with negative thoughts, and to never hesitate to seek help when you feel it is necessary.

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is stress that can be described as beneficial to the person experiencing it. This type of stress can cause anxiousness and other feelings, but for a different reason. Many different things can cause eustress, such as going on a rollercoaster ride, waiting for your birthday, or planning a big event. This type of stress can make you feel good. A big emotion people feel when they have eustress is excitement.

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One big source of stress for many teens is the work they have piling up from school. This can frustrate the teen and this can lead to procrastination which makes the problem bigger.

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This is a huge problem for many teens. They begining to become more self-consious and feel a need to focus on their appearence more. This can put stress the teen because they get scared of what others may thing of them.

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This can be caused by many things like their parents, school, or neighborhood. This creates stress and uncertainty and makes doing everyday things harder.

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Having a bad parent relationship whether it be teen to parent, or parent to parent can create stressful environments. It can become distracting and worrying for the teen, creating stress.

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Being diagnosed with an illness or injury can be hard for anyone. It makes life harder in many ways. It can create feelings of frustration, angry, sadness, and of cource stress.

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Teens can find themselves in drama very often. Drama often brings consequences whether it be punishment, or negative impacts on their social life. These situations can create stress.

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Financial problems not only affect the parents of the household, but also puts a strain on the teens and kids in the house that understand what is going on. They have new expectations and fears for what's going to change, and this can be a lot for a teen who may not even be old enough yet to help.

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By taking care of yourself, you are setting yourself up for success and can help you with your confidence, health, and reduce stress overall.

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By developing a constant and good sleep schedule, you can better your health and decrease stress.

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Certain foods like caffeine which can increase levels of anxiety and agitation. Drug abuse is also never okay, and will only make your stress worse.

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Make sure to take breaks from things that are time consuming, or when you feel stressed.

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Having a good relationship with whether it be friends, parents, or other trusted adults can really be beneficial. They can help you in times where you feel stuck or stressed.

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Practice breathing exercises in order to calm yourself down in high stress situations.

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Being more positive to yourself can really help you with your confidence and self-respect. Remind yourself of your ambitions and good qualities. These positive self-talk can help your mind relax and help with certain stressors.

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Therapy is treatment and help intended to help alleviate your problems. If you ever feel it is necessary you should alway seek therapy, or even consult your school counselor.

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Taking time to enjoy a hobby or craft you enjoy can take your mind off the stress and help make you feel better. It is a positive and great way to cope.

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Taking care of yourself whether it be by way of hygiene, food, exercise, or etc is a great way to make you feel better about yourself. Feeling good in your own body is the first step to a positive life and can decrease stress.

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After you find a solution, there are more steps you must carry out. You will have to actually do it, but also to try and reflect on whether it really helped you or not. If it wasn't as effective as you'd like, you can always try something else or change it up a bit. Here is a example of carrying out the solution and the reflection process.

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I have stress from the big workload I have piling up from school. I am very stressed about this because I can't bring myself to start any of it and it is only growing. My grades are in jeopardy and I have to find a way to start and remove the stress.

I plan on taking breaks and asking for help. These will help me not only calm myself down, but also help me conplete my work.

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I've decided what I want to do, and I must do it now. I will work for 30 mins-1 hour and see how I feel. If I ever feel stressed I will take a quick break, about 15 mins, and get back to work. I will also ask my friends and teachers for help on anything I do not understand.

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I used these strategies and it really helped me get more work done. I am now less stressed because I have less work staring me in the face.

For the future if I ever get into this situation again, I think I will change some parts of this plan and add a bit to it to make it more effective. I will create a more organized work/break schedule to make sure I am not taking too long of a break or oeverworking myself. I will also try to work with my friends and work through the work with them to get a better understanding of the work.

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Delaying what has to be done is almost never truly beneficial. It may feel good in the moment but the work and consequences will come back.

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Drugs and alcohol won't help your stress. It will make it worse and make you feel worse, as it is not healthy for your body.

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Tiktok is amazing for taking your mind off the pain and stress, but it makes it all worse because Tiktok is very distracting and takes up alot of time.

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Criticizing yourself is never okay. You may talk and think bad about yourself and think it will help teach yourself to be better. However this can lead to many other problems such as negative emotions on the daily, and can lead to mental disorders such as depression.

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Many people when they feel stressed tend to get less sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to problems mentally, and can amplify stress. For example not sleeping enough can lead to sleeping during school, and sleeping in school can lead to not getting work done. When work isn't getting done it piles up and can lead to procrastination. This is the cycle that not getting enough sleep can lead to.

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It is a very common emotion to feel when you're stress, and it is anger. It is important to manage yourself and make sure you do what is morally acceptable. Instead try to relieve your anger in better ways like working out.

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Many people will develop bad habits and do the habits when they become stressed. An example of these habits is chewing your fingernail.

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When you are stressed you may feel tense and angry. It is easy to let your emotions slip through and this will most definitely affect your social life.

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If you are stressed you may develop unhealthy habits such as binge eating. It distracts you from the stress and makes you feel good, but can lead to problems such as obesity, heart problems, etc...

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When you feel overloaded with emotion from stress you may start to try extreme things to try and manage these feelings. Self harm is far too common as well as suicidal thoughts.

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Affect you physically.

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Affects you physically, can be affected mentally by decreasing self-esteem.

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Affects you mentally/emotionally. Can affect you physical, socially, intellectually, spiritually, and behaviorally.

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Affects you mentally but can lead to physical harm.

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Will affect you mentally/emotionally, physically, socially, intellectually, spiritually, and behaviorally.

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Will affect you behaviorally, and socially.

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Will affect you physically.

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Looking for easy recipes? We have delicious mains, simple sides and divine desserts. We even have pet friendly recipes that your four legged friends will love

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Will affect you physically.

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Will affect you physically.

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Affects your behavioral health and social health.

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This organization helps you whether you are the kid or parent with managing yourself or your kids. This specific article helps with self-management steps.

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​ Editor's Note: This article is written specifically for young people from 12 to 18 years of age. Your teen will get the most out of this article if he or she also reads For Teens: A Personal Guide for Managing Stress and downloads My Personal Stress Plan (PDF) .

Here is a 10-point plan to help you manage . All of these ideas can lower stress without doing any harm. None are quick fixes, but they will lead you toward a healthy and successful life. The plan is divided into 4 parts.

Tackling the problem

Taking care of my body

Dealing with emotions

Making the world better

When you read over the plan, you'll notice that you can come up with a bunch of ideas for each point. PLEASE don't think you should try them all.

This plan is supposed to help you reduce stress, not give you more. Try out some ideas, then stick to one or two for each point.

You might notice that this plan is almost like building a college or work résumé . This is the sane way to build a résumé; you are doing it to manage your life and remain happy and prepared for success, not to cram in activities to impress someone else. It will ensure you're healthy and balanced, and that's very attractive to colleges and employers.

Part 1: Tackling the Problem

Point 1: Identify and Then Address the Problem.

First decide if a problem is a real tiger or just feels like one. If it can't hurt you, chances are that it can be better handled with clear thinking. This means turning off those thoughts that make you interpret the situation as a disaster.

A lot of people cope by ignoring problems. This doesn't make them go away; usually they just get worse.

People who by trying to fix problems tend to be emotionally healthier.

When it comes to studying or , it is best to get the work done first. Because work or studying produces stress, many people put it off and choose to do fun things first. The problem with that is they're not really having fun because they're worrying about the work they're ignoring. And of course, the longer they put it off, the more they worry. The cycle is endless.

Fights with parents and friends don't go away unless you deal with what upset you in the first place, or unless everyone apologizes and decides to forgive each other.

Three ideas can help you manage a lot of work.

Break the work into small pieces. Then do one small piece at a time, rather than look at the whole huge mess. As you finish each piece, the work becomes less overwhelming.

Make lists of what you need to do. This will help you sleep because your head won't spin with worry about whether you can do everything. At the end of the day, you'll have less to worry about as you check off the things you have finished. You will look at the same huge amount of work and realize you can handle it.

Timelines can help with big projects.

Point 2: Avoid Stress When Possible.

Sometimes we know exactly when we are headed for trouble. Avoiding trouble from a distance is easier than dealing with it up close. You know the people who might be a bad influence on you, the places where you're likely to get in trouble, and the things that upset you. Choose not to be around those people, places, and things that mess you up.

Point 3: Let Some Things Go.

It's important to try to fix problems, but sometimes there is nothing you can do to change a problem. For example, you can't change the weather, so don't waste your energy worrying about it. You can't change the fact that teachers give tests, so just study instead of complaining about how unfair they are. You can't change the fact that your parents need to know where you go, so prove that you're responsible and deserve more freedoms. People who waste their energy worrying about things they can't change don't have enough energy left over to fix the things they can. Also learn when not to take things personally. You feel badly for no reason when you take something personally that really has little to do with you.

Part 2: Taking Care of My Body

Point 4: The Power of Exercise.

is the most important part of a plan to manage stress. When you are stressed, your body is saying, "Run!" So do it. Exercise every day to control stress and build a strong, healthy body. You may think you don't have time to exercise when you are most stressed, but that is exactly when you need it the most. If you are stressed about an assignment but too nervous to sit down and study-exercise! You will be able to think better after you have used up those stress hormones. Some people exercise before school so they can focus and learn better.

Point 5: Active Relaxation.

You can flip the switch from being stressed to relaxed if you know how to fool your body. Because your body can only use the relaxed or emergency nervous system at any one time, you can turn on the relaxed system. You do this by doing the opposite of what your body does when it is stressed. Here are 2 ideas.

1. Breathe deeply and slowly. Try the 4-8 breathing technique. Lie on your back and place your hands on your belly with your fingers loose. Deep breaths first fill the belly, then the chest, then the mouth; the breath expands the belly and your hands pull gently apart. Take a full breath while counting to 4. Then hold that breath for about twice as long, or an 8 count. Slowly let it out to the count of 8, or even longer if you can. This will relax your body after a few breaths, but just as importantly, it requires your full concentration. Your mind is too focused on breathing to focus on worries. Do this 10 times and you will feel much more relaxed. Yoga, martial arts , and meditation also teach great breathing skills. When you get good at this, you can even do this in a chair during a test and nobody will know.

2. Put your body in a relaxed position.

Your body knows when you're nervous. If you sit down to take a test and your legs are shaking, you are saying, "I want to run!" Remember, you can't concentrate and run at the same time, so you are making it harder to take the test. Instead, take those deep breaths, lean back, and tell your body there is no emergency.

When you're angry, the natural thing to do is stand up and face someone shoulder-to-shoulder and chest-to-chest. You do this without even thinking, but this subconsciously tells the other person that you're angry and ready to fight. It also may prevent you from thinking clearly. Do the opposite of what you would do if you were really going to fight-sit down, take deep slow breaths, and tell your body there is no danger. Then use your brain to get out of the situation.

Point 6: Eat Well.

Everyone knows good makes you healthier. Only some people realize that it also keeps you alert through the day and your mood steady. People who eat mostly junk food have highs and lows in their energy level , which harms their ability to reduce stress. Instead of eating greasy or sugary foods, eat more fruits, vegetables , and whole grains -they keep you focused for a longer time. Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn more.

Point 7: Sleep Well.

Go to about the same time every night.

Exercise 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. Your body falls asleep most easily when it has cooled down. If you exercise right before bed, you will be overheated and won't sleep well. A hot shower 1 hour before bedtime also helps your body relax to fall asleep.

Use your bed only to sleep. Don't solve your problems in bed. When you think about all the things that bother you, you have trouble falling asleep and wake up in the middle of the night to worry more. Instead, have another spot to think, like a worry chair. Give yourself plenty of time to think things through, make a list if you need to, and then set it aside! Go to bed to sleep.

Don't do homework, watch television, read, or use the phone while in bed.

Most kids don't get the sleep they need to grow and think clearly. Tired people can't learn as well and can be impatient and irritable. Here are some ideas to improve your sleep.

Part 3: Dealing With Emotions

Point 8: Take Instant Vacations.

Visualize. Have a favorite place where you can imagine yourself relaxing. The place should be beautiful and calm. When you're stressed, sit down, lean back, take deep breaths, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in your calm place.

Take time out for yourself. Everyone deserves time for themselves-a bath or something that allows time to think and de-stress. Try a warm bath with your ears just underwater. Listen to yourself take deep, slow breaths. Take your pulse and count as your heart rate goes down.

Enjoy hobbies or creative art as an instant vacation.

Look at the beauty around you and get pleasure from the small things you may have stopped noticing.

Take mini-vacations. Sometimes we forget that the park around the corner is a great place to hang out. A walk outside can be a mini-vacation if you choose to forget your worries.

Reading a good book is an escape from reality. You have to imagine the sights, sounds, and smells-you are somewhere else for a while.

Sometimes the best way to de-stress is to take your mind away to a more relaxing place.

Point 9: Release Emotional Tension.

Sometimes feelings become so overwhelming that we cram them all away in an imaginary box and think we'll deal with them later. But later, there's so much stuff in the box that there is too much to deal with. This can make your head feel as if it is spinning. Sometimes you get angry or frustrated without even knowing why. You just know there is too much stuff going on in your head. It's good to pick just one problem to work on and forget the rest for the moment. When we decide to deal with only one problem at a time, it's much less scary to open the box.

Creativity. People who have a way to express themselves don't need to hold it inside. Creative outlets like art, music, poetry, singing, dance, and rap are powerful ways to let your feelings out.

Talking. Every young person deserves a responsible adult to talk to and some friends to trust. Hopefully, you can talk to your parents. If you do not want to tell your parents everything, make sure to find an adult who'll listen and whom you can ask for advice.

Journaling. Write it out!

Prayer. Many young people find prayer or meditation helpful.

Laughing or crying. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions fully.

Here are some ideas to release your thoughts or worries one at a time.

Part 4: Making the World Better

Point 10: Contribute to the World.

Young people who work to make the world better have a sense of purpose, feel good about themselves, and handle their own problems better. It's important to understand that you really can make a difference in other people's lives. The role of teenagers is to recognize the mistakes adults have made and build a better world.

My Personal Stress Plan

​

Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed, FAAP, and Martha M. Jablow

Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings, 3rd Edition (Copyright © 2015 Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed, FAAP, and Martha M. Jablow)

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stress~ stress-management~ plan~ stress plan~ 10-point plan~ teens~ young adults~ tackling the problem~ avoid stress~ help~ guide~ relaxation~ dealing with stress~ personal stress plan.

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For Teens: Creating Your Personal Stress-Management Plan

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​This article is written specifically for young people from 12 to 18 y​ears of age. Check out this 10-point plan to help you manage stress. None are quick fixes, but they will lead you toward a healthy and successful life.

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This article will tell you how to take care of yourself and manage your life to ensure you live a healthy life.

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Related Topics

A person’s overall health is about much more than the absence of disease. It’s the state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Ultimately, it’s the key to living a productive and satisfying life.

Path to Improved Health

You can break down the concept of health into different categories. These could include physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health. There are things any person can do to stay healthy in these areas. As a teenager, there are some things you should pay special attention to.

Physical health: Taking care of your body

Exercise regularly. Teens should be physically active at least 60 minutes of every day.

Eat a healthy diet. Healthy eating is an important part of your growth and development. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, a variety of protein foods, and low-fat dairy products. Avoid junk foods such as soda pop, fast food, and chips, even when you are a teen. This will help you as you get older.

Maintain a healthy weight. Children and teenagers with obesity are more likely to have obesity as an adult. They are also at higher risk for other chronic illnesses, depression, and bullying.

Get enough sleep. Most teens need between 9 and 9 ½ hours of sleep every night. Many average only 7 hours. Sleep has a strong effect on your ability to concentrate and do well at school.

Keep up with vaccinations. Get a flu shot every year. If you haven’t gotten the HPV vaccine, ask your parents and doctor about it. It can prevent you from getting HPV and some kinds of cancer, including cervical cancer and throat cancer.

Brush and floss your teeth. Make it a habit now and prevent tooth and gum problems in adulthood.

Wear sunscreen. Getting just one bad sunburn as a child or teenager increases your risk of getting skin cancer as an adult. Do not use tanning beds. They increase your risk of skin cancer.

Don’t listen to loud music. This can damage your hearing for the rest of your life.

Mental health: Taking care of your mind

Learn ways to manage stress. You can’t avoid stress, so you need to learn healthy coping skills. This will help you stay calm and be able to function in stressful situations.

Study and do your best in school. There is a strong link between health and academic success.

Try to maintain a good relationship with your parents. Remember that they want what is best for you. Try to see where they are coming from when they set rules.

Develop a good balance between school, work, and social life.

Don’t try to take on too much. Limit your activities to the most important ones and give those 100%. Overextending yourself can lead to stress, frustration, or exhaustion.

Emotional health: Taking care of your feelings

Know the signs of mental illness. These include:

Anxiety

Depression

Excessive tiredness

Loss of self-esteem

Loss of interest in things you used to like

Loss of appetite

Weight gain or loss

Out-of-character personality changes

Pay attention to your moods and feelings. Don’t assume your negative thoughts or feelings are just part of being a teenager. If you’re worried about something, ask for help.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you can’t talk to your parents, talk to a favorite teacher or counselor at school. Talk to your family doctor or health care provider. Find an adult you can trust. If you’re feeling really sad or are thinking about harming yourself, get help right away.

Accept yourself. If you feel like you have low self-esteem or a poor body image, talk to someone about it. Even just talking to a friend can help.

Don’t bully other people. And if you are being bullied, tell a parent, teacher, or other adult. This includes being bullied online or on your phone.

Behavioral health: Taking care of your safety through your behaviors

Avoid substance use or abuse. This includes alcohol, street drugs, other people’s prescription drugs, and any type of tobacco product or vaping.

Drive safely. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in U.S. teenagers. Always use your seat belt. Avoid riding in a car full of other teenagers. This can distract the driver and make an accident more likely. Never get in a car with a driver who has been drinking.

Wear protective headgear. Wear a helmet when you are riding a bike or participating in sports to head injuries.

Avoid violence. Stay away from situations where violence or fighting may cause you to be physically injured.

Practice abstinence (no sex) or safe sex. If you have sex, always use condoms to help avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If you are sexually active, talk to your doctor about contraceptives to avoid unplanned pregnancies. If you can’t use contraceptives, use condoms for birth control. Even if you can use contraceptives, these do not prevent STIs; use condoms in addition to other contraceptive methods.

What might my doctor do if I go see them?

The doctor might do any of the following to help you stay healthy:

Determine your risk for certain health problems.

Measure your height, weight, and blood pressure.

Give advice about healthy lifestyle choices, like diet and activity.

Offer immunizations, if needed.

Provide immunizations (shots or vaccines) to reduce your risk of getting diseases. These could include meningitis, tetanus, or HPV.

Things to Consider

Will the habits I have now really make a difference when I’m older?

Yes; 65% of all deaths in adults are caused by heart disease, cancer, and stroke. In many cases, these diseases are preventable. Many of the behaviors that cause these diseases begin at a young age. For example, teens who use tobacco are more likely to have heart disease, cancer, or stroke in adulthood.

At my age, what should I especially be concerned about?

The top killers of teenagers and young adults are accidents, homicide, and suicide. Cancer and heart disease are uncommon for teenagers, but can affect you at this age. Unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections can harm your health. They can also cause you social and personal problems.

Do young men have different health risks than young women?

Yes. Young men typically engage in riskier behavior than women, such as not wearing seatbelts. They’re also more likely to carry weapons, get into physical fights, use smokeless tobacco or marijuana, drink alcohol heavily, and have more sexual partners. On the other hand, young women have some special risks. They attempt suicide more often. They also try to lose weight in harmful ways more often than young men.

Should I talk to my doctor if I’m worried about my health or my body?

Yes. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your health or your body. Your doctor is there to help you.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

What steps can I take to stay healthy?

Am I at risk for any illnesses or diseases?

I’m worried about a specific part of my life. What should I do?

What type of diet is healthy for me?

What type of exercise should I do?

How can I practice safe sex?

I can’t talk to my parents or teachers about my problems. Who can I talk to?

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Teenagers: How To Stay Healthy - Health and Wellness | familydoctor.org

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A healthy lifestyle includes more than just physical health. It involves mental and social well-being, too.

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This is a great resource to learn about what stress is and get more information on it as well as where, how, and other information on getting help.

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About stress

Stress is a process, not a diagnosis. We experience stress when there is an imbalance between the demands being made on us and our resources to cope with those demands. The level and extent of stress a person may feel depends a lot on their attitude to a particular situation. An event that may be extremely stressful for one person can be a mere hiccup in another person's life.

You may feel under pressure to do something and fear you may fail. The more important the outcome, the more stressed you feel. You can feel stressed by external situations (too much work, children misbehaving) and by internal triggers (the way you think about external situations).

Stress is not always a bad thing. Some people thrive on stress and even need it to get things done. When the term 'stress' is used in a clinical sense, it refers to a situation that causes discomfort and distress for a person and can lead to other mental health problems, such as and .

Stress may also contribute to physical illness such as cardiovascular disease. When stress turns into a serious illness, it's important to get professional help as soon as possible. Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to serious depression.

Effects of stress

Stress affects us in many ways, including:

Emotionally - anxiety, depression, tension, anger

The way we think - poor concentration, forgetfulness, indecisiveness, apathy, hopelessness

Behaviourally - increased drinking and smoking, insomnia, accident proneness, weight problems, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, nervousness, gambling.

Your response to stress

Your attitude, personality and approach to life will influence how you respond to stress. Factors that play a part include:

How you think about a problem

How anxious you feel generally

How severely the problem affects you

Whether you have experienced anything like this before

Whether you can control what is happening

How long the event affects you

How important the outcome is to you

The different ways a person copes with difficult situations

Your life experiences and life history

Your self-esteem

Whether you have people around who can provide support.

Stress as a health problem

As a health problem, stress occurs when a person feels that the demands made on them exceed their ability to cope. Factors contributing to a person feeling stressed might include:

Environment (work, home, school)

Lifestyle

Emotional and personal problems

Physical disorders.

Stress and physical illness

When we feel under stress, our body kicks into high gear to deal with the threat. Our heartbeat, breathing rate and blood pressure all go up. The longer we feel stressed, the greater the demand on our body.

The more often we are placed under stress, the more often we have to use energy to cope. There is growing evidence that stress may contribute to physical illness such as cardiovascular disease (although this link remains controversial and research is ongoing), high blood pressure, proneness to infection and chronic fatigue.

Whatever the cause, physical diseases need appropriate medical management before any attempt is made at stress management. Discuss with your doctor how stress management may be used to support treatment of your physical symptoms.

Stress and anxiety

Untreated stress can turn into a mental illness such as an anxiety disorder or depression.

Almost everyone experiences some anxiety. This is normal. However, an anxiety disorder is different from everyday anxiety - it is more severe, can persist and may interfere with a person's daily life.

Common anxiety disorders include:

Generalised anxiety disorder - the person is constantly worried, often about irrational things, and cannot be reassured

Panic disorder

Specific phobias - such as fear of flying or of spiders

Agoraphobia - fear of public places or of being away from home

Social anxiety disorder - fear of the scrutiny and judgement of others.

A less common anxiety disorder is acute stress disorder.

Anxiety is a very treatable condition. There are many different psychological and medication options. Treatments need to be individually decided on and regularly reviewed to make sure they are effective and to minimise side effects of medications. Separately and in combination, psychotherapy and medication therapy generally produce good results.

Untreated anxiety disorders and depression

Untreated anxiety disorders can lead to serious depression. Depressive illness is common - about 17% of Australians will suffer from depression at some time in their life.

Depression is about twice as common in women as in men. The most common time in life for people to suffer from depression is in their 40s. However, it can develop at any age. Depression is often associated with an increased incidence of suicide. The annual suicide rate for people with depression is three or four times higher than that of other psychiatric disorders.

Stress at work

Stress in the workplace is common and is caused by many different factors, including excessive hours, conflicts with others and feelings of isolation. The amount of stress a person experiences is often determined by whether or not they can accept that some things in life will simply never be sorted out to their satisfaction. For example, a person may feel stressed by the way they are treated by their employer or by the behaviour of a work colleague.

Sometimes, this stress can be resolved by dealing with the particular behaviour. In many organisations, there are processes to deal with workplace problems like harassment, victimisation or unfair treatment. In many cases, the problem can be resolved if the behaviour is changed.

However, some problems will never be fully resolved, and you may have to accept them. For example, if someone who you think is poorly qualified is given a job you felt entitled to, you may continue to feel stressed, unless you are able to let go of that grievance and move on.

Stress management

The old saying 'prevention is better than cure' is certainly true for stress management. It will help if you:

Exercise regularly - regular exercise is a great way to manage stress. You should do some form of exercise that causes you to feel puffed afterwards - a leisurely stroll to the bus stop is not enough! Have at least 20 minutes of exercise three times a week

Avoid conflict - avoid situations that make you feel stressed such as unnecessary arguments and conflict (although ignoring a problem is not always the best way to reduce stress). Assertiveness is fine but becoming distressed is not

Relax - give yourself some time to relax each day and try to spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself

Eat well - a nutritious diet is important. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoid sweet and fatty foods

Sleep - a good sleep routine is essential. If you have difficulty falling asleep, do something calm and relaxing before you go to bed like listening to music or reading

Enjoy your life - it's important to make time to have some fun and to get a balance in your life.

To deal with stress more effectively, it helps to investigate your stresses and how you react to them. Try to:

Understand what situations make you feel stressed

Understand what situations you can and can't control

Prepare for stressful events in advance, by thinking about the future

Keep yourself healthy with good nutrition, exercise and regular relaxation

Try to do happy things every day.

Getting help for stress

You should see your doctor or community health centre if:

You feel stressed often

Particular things stress you and you feel they are beyond your control

You feel your reactions to stress are extreme or worry you

You feel anxious or depressed about stress.

Where to get help

Your doctor

Psychologist or counsellor

This way up - an online and an developed by the Clinical Research Unit of Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and University of New South Wales (UNSW) Faculty of Medicine

Community mental health service

Tel. National Mental Health Helpline

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: OCD and Anxiety Helpline Tel. or

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Stress is a process, not a diagnosis. We experience stress when there is an imbalance between the demands being made on us and our resources to cope with those demands. The level and extent of stress a person may feel depends a lot on their attitude to a particular situation.

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If you cannot find the help you are looking for in a online search/article, you can always talk to someone, if you're comfortable, in person. People you can talk to include a teacher you may have formed a strong bond with, school counselors, parents, doctors, friends you trust, and hotlines.