Teenagers definitely have tons of stress. You probably had more stress than even your parents had when they were teenagers. Yes, they too had stress, but life as a teenager was different back then.

At this very moment, you might think you have no stress whatsoever, but maybe you do.

What exactly is stress? It happens when you face a situation that you see as challenging in some way. You may not like the challenge, so your body kicks into overdrive, engaging the stress response.

These are two types of stress: Positive Stress and Negative Stress. There are more stresses, too, but most of them can be filed under these two types. When it is part of a natural reaction to a challenge or danger, the body's response is called Positive Stress. Negative Stress comes when you feel out of control, or under intense pressure.

Teenagers mostly fall under the Negative Stress category. Positive Stress would come when someone starts a new job. The person feels stressed out, but that feeling will actually make them strive harder to do well in the job. Negative Stress comes when someone feels that they're fat, and so they want to try to be thinner. Other times might be when someone feels they are not ready for a test or quiz coming up, so they start freaking out.

Physical signs of stress include:

- Heart beats faster
- Sweaty palms, or hands
- Cold hands or feet
- Hair loss
- Stomachache
- Jittery
- Moving your feet or hands around a lot
- Heating up
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Headache
- Trouble sleeping
- Dryness of mouth or throat
- Muscle tension

Emotional signs of stress are:

- Angry outbursts
- Jealousy
- Anxiousness
- Depression
- Reduced self-esteem
- Change in eating habits
- Tendency to cry
- Butterflies in your stomach

Those are just a few signs of stress. Stress causes many teenagers to be angry with themselves, to be worried, and to be very timid. Situations like someone talking about you behind your back, or maybe you losing a math book, can make you really stressed. Sports can also make you very stressed at times -- and at others, a good workout can relieve that stress!

To help out with your stress, I'll tell you some ways to relieve the build-up of stress.

1. Create a positive outlook on things! For example: The guy that you like asks you your name in math class. Old Interpretation: "He doesn't even know my name! He doesn't like me, and he thinks I'm invisible!" New Interpretation: "He totally wants to get to know me!" See, you can do that with many things, and it will help you deal better.

2. Evaporate judgment. Who cares what others think? Your life is none of their business, and theirs is none of yours!

3. Provide good energy... be aware of your attitude and what you do. No one likes a Debbie Downer.

4. RELAX. Try yoga, or pilates. First lie on your back in a quiet, dim room, with a pillow under your head and knees. Then tell yourself, "Toes relax, arms relax, feet relax, lower back relax," and so on. Give your body time to relax, bit by bit.

Be sure to start from your feet, and work up. Also, you can scrunch up your fists, and then breathe in, and breathe out. Then you can relax your fists, then scrunch up your toes while you breathe in out. You can do this with tons of your muscles. Be creative. :-)

5. Have a healthy diet. Ask your parents for smoothie recipes with good ingredients, like strawberries, yogurt and milk. One healthy smoothie I make is only 265 healthy calories: Peel a banana and cut it into chunks. Throw it into a blender along with 1/2 cup of unsweetened frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup of nonfat vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup of nonfat milk, and a squeeze of honey. Then blend it up, and presto, a healthy and yummy smoothie!

6. Make a morning routine: Don't rush in the mornings; instead, try to prepare ahead of time. For instance, pack your bags at night so that when you wake up, you can relax and eat a peaceful breakfast. Also, instead of taking a shower in the morning, consider take one at night. And choose your outfit the night before.

If you're still wondering if you have stress, maybe you should try a biodot. Biodots can tell you your stress mode. Your health teachers may give them out to you, like they did to me. I found a website that provides biodots though: http://www.cliving.org/biodots.htm#Stress%20Points.

(Editor's Note: Do biodots have a scientific basis, or are they just a fun little toy that doesn't actually relate to your stress level?)

I hope everyone starts to feel better, and more stress-free. Just remember, no one's life is exactly perfect, and everyone goes through changes, troubles, worries and stress.

I got most of my information from the following:
Health class
http://www.icisf.org/CIS.html
http://www.holistic-online.com/stress/stress_emotional-signs.htm
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/0000/0069.asp?index=4606

That last website gives you relaxation techniques, so definitely check it out!

This is Snowgri13, going to drink a yummy-in-her-tummy fruit smoothie. ;-)