Stress. A feeling I’m sure everyone can relate to. I’m definitely being held within the shackles of stress.

Frequently, I find myself stressing over things that I can’t control. But people, especially me, have to learn how to let go. I’m beginning to understand how much I need to let go of a lot of things.

I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and definitely skilled at being self-conscious. I’m young so I should be stress free, right? I wish. Stress has no age limit when it comes to stomping on your mental health.

As a fifteen-year old-girl, I’m still growing into myself, both physically and mentally, so maybe these feelings are just part of growing up.

One of the most common things teens tend to stress about is grades. With parents standards, difficulty understanding criteria, and life outside of school, things can get pretty hectic.

With school being draining already, adding piles of homework just increases the level of stress.

Failing in school can make you feel like you’re failing in life. Sometimes your best isn’t always enough when it comes to grades. That comes with almost everything in life though, we try and we fail. You have to use a different approach instead of stressing over your first attempt.

American philosopher and psychologist William James once said, “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” I like this quote because it made me realize that I have control over my feelings when my brain gets overwhelmed.

Being lost in your thoughts is enough, but letting your negative thoughts inside can overpower you, which causes more problems such as overthinking. Stress alone feels like someone has a tight grip on your brain and just won’t let go, but overthinking feels like you’re drowning in your thoughts.

How do you avoid this feeling? Who do you talk to? These are a few of the questions that I’ve been asking myself. While some people cope by meditating, doing yoga, or listening to music, I’m still lost in the deep cavern of stress. 

At times our feelings are dismissed and overlooked simply because of our age. For example, I’ve been told that i’m “young” and “have nothing to stress about” Which is bizarre because at this age it seems like there’s always something to stress over like validation, becoming a young adult, and so many more things that seem to keep our minds from being at peace.

Some people (older people specifically) just assume and invalidate.

Though I wish I could give you a few easy tips on how to relieve stress in your life, it’s something that I continue to struggle with too. For now, I am doing my best to avoid negative thoughts and focus on the positive to keep myself from drowning. Taking things day by day and learning from those around that we trust has been the most helpful thing.