Dear You're Still a Teen

Now, this may sound weird, but there is good stress, like getting ready to step up to take the foul shot that could win the game or getting ready to go to a big dance. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes and make you ready to rise to a challenge. To me, bad stress means worrying and this creates fear, which usually makes your head spin out of control and this will make things turn out for the worst. For example, let’s say you’re stressing over a test. If you studied hard, then there is no reason to worry. Stress can sneak in and do some silly things to you, like keeping you up all night worrying, which means you won’t get a good sleep, meaning you will wake up looking and feeling even more tired. Then by the time you write your test, your brain is mush and your memory has packed its bags and gone on vacation. This means you worried about failing your test and the stress made it a reality.

Let’s imagine this from another perspective. Let’s say you studied for the same test and you know you’re going to ace it. You’ll have a good sleep and wake up ready for it.

When I feel stressed, I like to remind myself of a funny joke and start laughing. When you’re laughing, you seem to forget about what you were worrying about in the first place. Laughing also releases tension and it’s the tension we want to get rid of in the first place.

Another good tip I use is meditation and visualization. Find a spot to sit, take in three deep breaths and blow out all the stuff which has you worrying. With your eyes closed, visualize what is stressing you out, get it out of your head and see yourself throwing it into the trash can and walking away!

~ Diva