I felt very uncomfortable and hurt since she had been a close friend of mine for nearly 3 years.

I felt angry because I was constantly picked on in public.

I felt betrayed because I have always had her back in tough situations. However, she only seemed to make fun of me when it was her turn to stand up for me.

I felt confused because I didn't know what to do. I wanted to stay friends with her but I could not tolerate her behavior towards me anymore.

I felt stressed because I was constantly thinking about our fight instead of focusing on school or my tasks at home.

Exercise: By going for a run or stretching, we can release some of the stress from our bodies and focus on clarifying our minds.

Journaling: Some may find it helpful to express their thoughts and emotions on paper. This allows us to be mindful and have a conversation with ourselves about how we are feeling.

Talking to a loved one: Expressing our thoughts with a friend or family member can really help us out. They can give us advice from an outside perspective and relieve some of the stress we carry.

Meditating: Controlling our breathing and focusing on deep thoughts have actually been proven to be a highly effective way of letting go of stress.

Healthy Diet: Eating healthy foods allow us to nourish our bodies from the inside. When we feel better on the inside, we can feel better in our minds as well.

Listening to Music: Listening to calming music can allow us to flow with the rhythm and let go of stressful and negative thoughts.

Improved Sleeping Habits: Having a stable routine can help us cope with stress. This continuous pattern of having at least 8 hours of sleep every night can help us wake up in a happier and healthier mood.

Self-Care: This is another very important habit to maintain in order to let go of stress. By taking a couple hours to ourselves and recharging our social batteries, we can shift our focus to being the best version of ourselves.

Prayer: If you are a religious person, it can help to connect with your spirituality through prayer. Believing in a high power can allow us to let go of some control over our lives and relieve stress.

Reading: Reading can help us shift our focus to a story and calm down. Many find it effective reading books about mindfulness.

Aggression: Yelling and screaming does not solve any issues. Instead, they simply add fuel to the fire at stressful times.

Bullying: Bullying others simply degrades the other person and makes them feel bad about themselves. It is a reflection of your own insecurities, not theirs.

Avoiding the Problem: Avoiding the problem does not solve any issues either. You are simply letting the problem get bigger and more overwhelming.

Self-harm: Hurting yourself is not the way to deal with negative emotions. If you do so, please try to seek professional help.

Impulsively Overspending: It can be beneficial to shop when you are stressed. However, overspending is only going to harm you in the long run. You would be putting yourself in debt by trying to fix a major problem with a temporary solution.

Drinking Alcohol or Using Drugs: These substances cannot fix problems in your daily life. Getting black out drunk or high makes you avoid the problems in your life.

Procrastinating: Putting off little tasks can create a bigger issue for the future. When you finally have to do the work, you may feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you could have done little by little.

Screen-Time: Spending hours a day in front of a screen has been proven to increase stress, not decrease it. If you allow yourself to focus on the world around you, you can find ways to relax outside of your phone.

Overworking: Overwhelming yourself even more can make you burn out from all the stress. Instead, work on your tasks in smaller portions to make it less stressful.

Isolation: In stressful times, I would encourage you to spend time with loved ones to lighten the burden. Locking yourself in a room with a world of negative thoughts and emotions will only make you hurt even more.

Losing Weight / Gaining Weight (Physical): Sometimes when we are stressed out, our bodies can change physically. We may lose or gain a significant amount of weight because we forget to focus on ourselves.

Hair Loss (Physical): Stress can also make us lose hair. This is why it is important to keep our stress at a minimum so we can look good and feel good.

Crying (Behavioral): When the stress can be too overwhelming, many prefer to cry it out. Crying can help us let go of the thoughts and emotions we have bottled up.

Anxiety (Psychological): Stress can make us anxious about difficult situations and even about the future. It is important to remember that everything will be okay and your situation is temporary.

Overeating / Undereating (Behavioral): Stress can make us create unhealthy eating habits. When we are stressed, we can often over indulge in sugary sweet or salty chips which can contribute to creating more stress.

Lack of interest (Psychological): Showing little to no interest in things that normally excites you can be a major psychological sign of stress. It is important to keep doing the things you love to stay in touch with yourself.

Increased Heart Rate (General Health): When we are stressed, our bodies show it too. Rapid heart rate is a common sign of anxiety and stress and it is important to monitor it.

Extreme Sweating (General Health): Stress can make our bodies overheat, leading us to produce a lot of sweat. It is important to maintain self care and calm yourself to remain at ease.

Anger (Behavioral): If we become too overwhelmed, we can sometimes take it out on others. Little things can add to the stress we are already dealing with and make us lash out over small details.

Memory Problems (Psychological): When we are already juggling with a million different stressors, it can be easy to forget the small things. Sometimes, we can even forget to eat or take a shower because we are so stressed with our tasks.

TLC Free or Low-Cost Behavioral Health Services in Maryland: https://tlc-md.org/behavioral-health/

National Alliance on Mental Illnesses Prince George's County: https://namipgc.org/your-journey/teens-and-young-adults/

Hazel Healthcare for Students (Free Counseling): https://getstarted.hazel.co/district/pgcps

Recovery Clubhouse - Adolescent: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/departments-offices/health/behavioral-health-services/recovery-clubhouse-adolescent