Four proven ways to help manage your stress and reduce its toll on your body

Life sure is stressful sometimes! Teens have an awful lot going on: academic pressure, social pressure, family obligations, and other commitments. Many teens are dealing with really stressful situations: family issues, health concerns — their own or a family member’s, moving (schools, communities, countries), death or divorce in the family, difficult financial or emotional situations, the list goes on and on….

The problem is that stress is unhealthy and really isn’t good for you. What’s a girl to do? Life inevitably gets stressful, but being stressed out is bad for your body, mind, and soul. Help!

TP to the rescue: Here are four proven ways to help manage your stress and reduce its toll on your body.

1. GET ENOUGH SLEEP

I know, I know. You’ve heard this enough. But it’s true: When we’re low on sleep, everything is more stressful. It’s harder to keep things in perspective when we’re exhausted. Did you know that between the ages of 13–18, you need about nine hours of sleep a night?

Getting more shut-eye can help you in so many ways, and it can also ease your tension levels. (And exercise. And eating well. But we’ve discussed those already in previous columns....)