Dr. Rewati Govindrajan

Anxiety is a common issue with growing teenagers. It is not the typical anxiety before exams or academic projects. It is more than that. Anxiety may be the result of the hormonal changes, which predominantly affect the adolescent years of growth. While your body copes with different changes, your mind tangles between the future liberty and present restrictions. Knowing certain facts about this anxiety trail can help you to cope with it.

1. Anxiety is not always a disease: Anxiety is not always a disease. It is a normal phenomenon among adolescent teenagers. However, in certain cases it may be severe for some teenagers. They may feel crippled with anxiety. Under such cases, one would require psychiatric help.

2. Talk to someone: A great way to relieve yourself from stress due to anxiety is to speak with someone. It can be a friend or someone close to share your thoughts. If you know the reason of your anxiety, share it, discuss it. You will definitely feel better.

3. Take a break: Entertainment and break from academic work and schedule is necessary for teenagers to lower anxiety traits. However, if the anxiety is due to peers, you may even take a break from them and engage in family.

4. Cry out loud: It is not a silly thing to cry when you are stressed under anxiety. Crying is an emotional outburst which essentially relieves the stress due to anxiety and lets you control the emotional disturbed state of mind.

5. Good sleep: Sleep is necessary for both mental and physical rest. You need to overcome from the fatigue of routine works, stressful events, peer factor, etc. Catching the essential 8 hour sleep is a great way to overcome anxiety issues.

6. Don’t be conscious: Anxiety is a common factor among all your peers. You are not the only one coping with anxiety stress. So, take it light. Relax and don’t be conscious about your anxiety problems. Consider them to be temporary.

7. Be confident: Losing confidence under the stress due to anxiety can be even more disastrous. The effects will never be better. So be confident about whatever you do, whether right or wrong. Every person learns from his own activities. Whether right or wrong, everything will give you a lesson. So you will never be a loser, you will win a lesson.

8. Don’t feel stupid: Being stressed with anxiety is not abnormal or stupid. Everything is okay with you, and you are not the stupid fellow out there.

9. You are not weak: Anxiety is not a sign of weakness. You can rather make it your strength. Fight it back and keep your energy and enthusiasm high.

10. Anxiety is temporary: As you move ahead of the adolescent period, anxiety will faint. You will be more confident and matured, able to tackle anxiety. So consider it to be an affair of a few years. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a psychiatrist.