When You have the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders
What a day. You have an English paper due tomorrow the period after a chemistry quiz. You gained three pounds, slept five hours, fought with two parents, heard from four friends how horrible your new haircut looks and you weren't invited to the party on Saturday night. Feeling miserable would be a relief. So what to do? For the times when your life seems conspiring to get you to lie down and quit, those moments when the stress of being a teenager is too heavy a burden, when it seems you're hanging on by an unraveling thread, we want to help. We've compiled a list of suggestions guaranteed to be more effective at making you feel better than pulling the blanket over your head (which you can't even do because you're so over-scheduled!) Not all will speak to you, that's OK. You only need a few that sound appealing enough to try. We promise it will not always be this way.
Record why you feel the way you do. as a diary entry, a comic book, a painting, a song, a poem, a dance, or a home video. You might be surprised to learn how strong and competent you are at balancing all the pressures surrounding you. You might even find that you're the hero of your own life.
Unfrazzle by pampering. Hot baths, bath crystals, candles, soothing music. Face packs and manicures and massages. Being healthily self centered really works.
Long, deep breaths slow down your racing heart and calm you by letting go of the stress. Although it feels like it, stress is not the boss of you, you are!
Head trouble off at the pass. The more organized you are, the more junk you throw away, the more backup keys you hide, the less stressed your day will be. Get a handle on time. Allow some extra for problems that might come up. Make a weekly calendar. Schedule similar activities together so you don't waste precious time. Declutter your life and see the difference.
The best stress defuser is laughter. Look for things that make you laugh, including the ridiculous life you're leading.
Spend time with friends with a positive attitude. Inhale their enthusiasm. This is not a time you may have the extra reserves necessary to help out a needy friend.
Give yourself some quiet time, even if it's just an extra long shower. Your spirit needs it.
Realize the difference between things in your control and things beyond your control. Then don't waste time worrying about what you can't do anything about.
Prioritize. Although it seems like everything is crashing down at once, there's probably an order to getting things done. What is less important? Handle the important things, the ones that will matter a year from now, first. Worry about what's imminent, not a month away.
Doing good deeds has the bonus of raising self-confidence, which has the wonderful side effect of making what you have to face more survivable. Community service of any kind will raise self-esteem.
Move that body. When you do, your body produces endorphins that boost mood and gets rid of tension. It's a much more productive way to spend energy than wasting it on stress.
Be kind to yourself. You have too much on your plate. Practice saying no. Realize you are not perfect and might make mistakes and come across problems too big to solve yourself. Consider compromising and becoming more flexible to make your schedule a little saner. Delegate tasks. Don't be a control freak. You cannot do it all well.
Talk to people you trust who understand how you feel. Although it sometimes feels that no other human on earth has been so overloaded, it's not true. Accept that you have given to others. Let them give back.
Info from BeingGirl.com
