Healthy Life Balance & Managing Stress

Just as it is important to eat a balanced diet, our minds and bodies benefit from a balanced lifestyle. Teenagers, as well as adults, have so much pressure from their daily responsibilities. For teens, this may include school, extracurricular activities, sports, part-time jobs, and responsibilities at home. This can cause a teenagers life to feel like a juggling act and ultimately lead to stress interfering with healthy functioning. If you do feel stressed or overwhelmed, it is important to first recognize this, acknowledge feelings of being overwhelmed and then strategize ways to bring life into balance.

What You Can Do:
Make sure to set priorities and realistic goals. Prioritize what needs to be done each week focusing on a few assignments a night versus worrying about doing them all at once. Also, set realistic goals that you can reach within a week. Setting goals that are too big or far away can make you feel more stressed out if they cannot realistically be achieved.

Life balance includes taking care of oneself. Do not forget the importance of healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate amount of sleep to reduce stress. Set aside time to each day to do something that makes you feel good. Read a favorite magazine, ride your bike, hang out with a friend, do yoga, or play your favorite sport. Focusing some time each day on something you enjoy will help you focus when you sit down to do homework.

These tips will support you in finding the necessary life balance that helps you feel less stressed!