Stressed? You Bet, But There’s Hope

Everyone gets stressed at some point in their lives.

According to the dictionary, stress is “a state of mental or bodily tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.” But we all know what stress is; we feel it every day. Basically, it’s what worries you, the problems or people or circumstances in life that make your palms sweat.

I polled 100 random students, ranging in age from 14 to 18, asking the question, “What stresses you out the most?”

Here is what they said:

Parents: 25 percent

Grades: 25 percent

The opposite sex: 20 percent

Peer pressure: 30 percent

Apparently, most teenagers do care somewhat about what their parents think and what their grades are like.

But don’t worry! I also asked the same students what the best ways to cope with stress were and wrote down some of the best responses:

1. Talk to a friend

2. Write it down

3. Take a hot bath

4. Take a nap

And above all, ask yourself this question the next time something has you worried: Will this matter a year from now? Will it even matter tomorrow?