Why Teen Stress Is A Problem (What Pre-teens and Teenagers Are So Stressed Out About)

Why Are Our Kids So Stressed Out?!

The US Surgeon General just released a mental health advisory stating that teens and children are in a state of emergency.

Anxiety, depression, mood disorders, school failure due to stress, and even suicidal thoughts (especially among teen girls) are elevated at alarming rates.

Here’s what is most surprising…our kids actually want our help in dealing with their stressors and we aren’t aware of it. Here are at least six of the stressors teens need help and guidance with:

1) School- kids feel like it is too much to manage and fear they will fail at life if they underperform

2) Lack of Sleep- we need 49 hours a week of sleep for optimal cognitive functioning. Teens are experiencing mood swings, making poor decisions and are sadder/more anxious simply due to lack of rest

3) Relationships- kids are stressed by romantic and social connections. In a nutshell, they don’t know how to do relationships well & need help

4) Life Changes- kids are feeling the indirect effect of parental stress, changing schools, the pandemic, grief/loss, etc.

5) Feeling Overwhelmed- many kids are too busy (however some kids are too bored and not active enough) with sports, school, work, caring for younger siblings, etc. and need a break or some things taken off of their plates

6) Overthinking- kids are overthinking about whether to open up about their problems to parents, counselors, friends and dealing with too much on their own.

Wow! That’s need even everything but it does give you enough to check in with your teen or pre-teen to assess your own children’s mental health. I think you will be surprised on just how much our children are carrying that we are unaware of.

I pray that this post opens up the lines of communication and allows your children to feel heard, seen, understood and supported. God Bless!