Stress

Stress is something which you can get from any place or setting. It can be your own house your closest friend group or school. There are different ways to identify stress, depending on which area you're experiencing it. We are mostly able to identify stress in stuff related to work and I already wrote an article about it, but we often don't identify stress in our relationships, so this is what today's article is on.

Social Circle- Your social circle can include your friends, teachers, relatives etc. sometimes we surround ourselves with people who are toxic without knowing it, and sometimes we are stuck in situations where we have to deal with toxic people. It can be very hard to identify if someone is toxic or not.

- When it comes to formal relationships for example teachers you can most probably get stressed if you are not meeting up to their expectations, but you also have to identify if you are comfortable with their expectations.

Example 1. you and an acquaintance are paired together for a school project they might want to do something which is very hard for you to do no matter how hard you try, the first and most practical thing you can do is tell them, and give them a detailed explanation on why you can't do, the thing. If they still force you to do so, that's when you know that person is not healthy to be around, and then when you try to meet their expectations you get stressed.

What you do- The only way to deal with someone like this, is to stand your ground, if you know that you have tried your best or are uncomfortable with their idea, and you have told that to your pair, yet they still disagree is a bad sign. If they continue to force you, you need to tell a teacher you trust about this or a mutual friend.

Example 2. You're not doing well in a particular subject which causes you to not participate in class and not to do well in tasks, and a teacher keeps telling you to do better, compares you to other classmates and says stuff in front of the class which you are not comfortable with, that is something which might cause you to dislike or even hate the subject, so when you get any task, question or tests related to it, you get scared but you still want to do better, because you don't want to get embarrassed.

What you do- To deal with this you can do multiple things. You can inform your teacher about how uncomfortable you are with certain stuff, and ask her to help you with the stuff you struggle with, in the subject. If they continue to act the same, that's when you know they are toxic. You can inform someone you trust, like your parents or a guardian and they can help you.

- When it comes to informal relationships, it can be extremely hard since your informal relationships are with people you care about and trust. Here are some situations you might find yourself in.

Family and relatives- Many people I know have been really focused on their marks from a young age, like 8. They have also tolerated a lot of bullying and abuse, from kids in school. I always wondered why, and the more you get into this topic, the more you realise that communication with your family matters a lot. Many kids are pressured by their family to get good marks at a very young age, and of course, the parents say it with good intentions but it affects kids so much. If your parents ever tell you to get good marks or have a good impression in front of the teachers, or something similar you don't have to feel pressured to do so. I think we all should try our best in everything we do, but not to a point where it is affecting you mentally, in this situation you should open up to your family about how you are feeling, and how it's affecting you mentally and you should look for a solution. Please remember that you're family is supposed to support you, be open with you and always help you.

Friendships- You can feel pressured in friendships in so many ways, that it can be hard to list it all down. I think in a friendship the only way to deal with any pressure, is to communicate you have to tell your friends how you feel, and be honest if they don't understand you, you have to either stop hanging out with them or if you still want to keep a relationship, just set your boundaries, to a point where you don't feel pressured.

I hope this article helped all the teens and tweens who read it. As we grow up, life can get harder and the stress can increase, but we can always get through anything which comes in our way if we prioritize our happiness and health.

Art Work- Sivan Karim

By taking care of myself I have so much more to offer the world than I do when I am running on empty - Ali Washington