Teenagers and Stress

Interviewing an expert is beneficial as it allows access to first-hand and reliable information through an in-depth conversation. Hence, having an interview with Ms Lauralynn is definitely a valuable experience to gain insight into the topic of how stress affects teenagers.

Meet Ms Lauralynn L. Stefureak

Ms Lauralynn graduated from the University of Alberta in Canada. She joined the Swedish International Development Agency for Conflict Resolution Training. She is awarded the International Baccalaureate and the Malaysia Mental Health Association certificates. Ms Lauralynn is also a certified counsellor.

Key topics:

• Common Mental Illnesses in Teens
• Self-doubt & Teens
• Reflection @Passing Time
• Common Signs & Impacts of Stress on Teens
• Suggestions for Coping Stress for Teens

    1.      Common Mental Illnesses in Teens

Stress, family pressure and issues with body positivity are the most common mental illnesses that teenagers are facing nowadays. Receiving bad grades on examinations, forced tuition enrollment, or criticism from others on their physical appearance are some examples of causing stress.

    2.      Self-doubt & Teens

Teenagers constantly compare themselves to others. Not fitting in could cause them to feel degraded, which could also lead to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. Therefore, self-doubt in teenagers is certainly a topic to be concerned about.

“Seeing your own value as a human being is critical to feelings of self-worth and self-esteem. Social media plays a huge part in how we view ourselves and our place in the world. This is especially true for tweens (ages 11 - 13) and teens (ages 13+).” - Lauralynn L. Stefureak

    2.1.   Reflection @Passing Time

The addiction to social media has become one of the biggest challenges that we are facing nowadays. Scrolling through social media has become part of the essential activities in our daily lives. It has become a companion in our journey of growing up. Unplugging technology seems impossible.

According to the New Straits Times (NST) report, excessive usage of social media increases feelings of disconnection and isolation by just glancing at posts that show people living their best life, travelling to exotic locales and eating at fancy places. These factors could eventually cause lower self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and withdrawal.

I agree that social media has heavily influenced the way we think of ourselves. Too much attachment to our idolised celebrities could cause an overthinking of our self-worth.

For teenagers like us, it is easy to get influenced by social feeds that catch our interest. We would tend to follow the trend and fit in with friends. Apart from reality, we tend to use social media as the quickest tool to gain likes and receive compliments, which makes us feel proud. However, competing on others’ posts that show their best life can lead to unpleasant feelings, such as self-doubt. The huge gap of hiding imperfections from who we truly are may cause us to feel insecure, frustrated and depressed.

    3.      Common Signs & Impacts of Stress on Teens

Feeling restless, having muscle tension or pain, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, and feeling fatigued easily are some of the common signs of stress which teenagers experience. Neglecting the signs could further result in depression or even self-harm or suicide.

    4.      Suggestions for Coping with Stress for Teens

Teenagers are encouraged to build up their confidence and positive mind in order to cope with stress. Some useful and effective methods are, such as practising healthy social media habits by avoiding comparing oneself to others. Practising mindfulness in everyday life by focusing on living in the present moment can also help enhance teenagers’ life quality.

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(Simple) Methods to Reduce Stress

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