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10 Facts about teenage stress

Stress is the body’s natural response to a challenge or threat. For centuries, stress has allowed humans to cope with a wide range of adversities, particularly in the face of danger. When we are under stress, hormones like adrenaline are released in our bodies, giving us the energy we need to tackle or overcome something difficult in our lives. Therefore, short-term stress is not necessarily bad.

For teenagers, however, stress can fester and extend months or even years, resulting in health concerns. It's important to offer stress relief for teens as they navigate their academic years.

Let’s begin by looking at 10 facts about teenage stress. This will give us an overview of some teen stress statistics and provide some context on how stress in teenagers is on the rise.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the following are true about stress among teens:

  1. 59 percent say balancing all their activities causes stress.
  2. 40 percent say they neglect home responsibilities due to stress.
  3. 40 percent say they are irritable due to stress.
  4. 37 percent say stress causes them to feel overwhelmed.
  5. 36 percent say they feel tired because of stress.
  6. 30 percent say they feel sad or depressed because of stress.
  7. 10 percent say stress causes them to get lower grades than they think they can get.
  8. Girls are twice as likely as boys to report feeling higher levels of stress daily.
  9. Stress causes short- and long-term changes to brain function that can impair memory.

Stress is linked to a long list of mental and physical health problems, including:

  • Heart disease
  • Respiratory disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Decreased immune function
  • High blood pressure
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Addiction
  • Depression

This article will explore how stress affects physical and mental development among teens as well as resources on how to deal with stress as a teenager. It will also discuss the difference between stress and anxiety and how Change to Chill can help with stress relief for teens.

Are youth more stressed today?

Yes. Recent research shows youth are more stressed today than five years ago. The APA’s 2023 Stress in America study revealed teen stress statistics indicate a continued rise in stress levels among adolescents. For example, 67% of teens surveyed said stress makes it difficult for them to focus, and nearly 60% said stress is “completely overwhelming.” They also reported their overall stress levels to be a six on a scale of one to 10, which is up from five in 2022. 

Many teenage stress articles draw a direct connection between causes of stress that continue to weigh on young people and their ability to deal with stress today. Academic stress remains the leading cause of stress in students, and financial worries, peer pressure and social acceptance come into play, too. The APA’s findings support the 10 facts about teenage stress discussed earlier in this article.

What are the 5 levels of stress?

For most people, the five levels of stress center on emotional reactions to personal stress. However, psychologists refer to the five levels of stress in a more clinical capacity. Here, we will explore both. We will also discuss some of the most common signs of stress in teens and how their stress levels often straddle both personal and clinical stress.

The 5 levels of personal stress can be defined as: 

  • Unawareness. Some people are wired to power through long lists of tasks each day. They rarely ask for help because they believe they can manage multiple deadlines, expectations from bosses and family members, and coordinating responsibilities to keep things running smoothly in life. For teens, this includes performing academically and in sports or other extracurricular activities. It is common for people to be completely unaware that the stress of these demanding schedules is having an adverse impact on their overall well-being. Feeling productive and being driven to meet goals make us feel accomplished.
  • Denial. Eventually, our bodies will begin offering hints into how stress is affecting our physical and emotional health. We may have trouble sleeping. Our skin may break out (even as adults). We may start having ongoing digestive issues that we didn’t have before. These are symptoms of stress, and they are the same signs of stress in teens. Unfortunately, when friends or loved ones suggest we may be under too much stress, it can be frustrating. We may reject the notion that we are stressed out and refuse to address the symptoms in a healthy manner.
  • Frustration. At this stage, we often find ourselves seeking answers on how to treat our own health issues. While still not able to accept stress as the cause of our physical and emotional issues, we turn to doctors to treat symptoms separately. This is a common reaction. We expect doctors to prescribe something to help us sleep, improve our gut health or even clear up our skin. This only leads to frustration because the true, underlying cause is still not being addressed.
  • Acceptance. Finally — and this can sometimes take years — we allow ourselves to accept that we are indeed overly stressed and anxious. Once this happens, we’re better equipped to seek proper help. We feel more empowered to talk about it with loved ones and mental health professionals. We stop looking for cures for individual ailments and start thinking about holistic treatment. Accepting that stress is the root cause affecting our overall mental well-being is an important step toward knowing how to manage stress as a student.
  • Action. Without taking action to manage stress, it can cause physical and emotional damage. Finding ways to manage stress or looking at different methods to offer stress relief for teens is critical in this action stage. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 1 in 5 people have a mental health disorder— primarily stress, anxiety or depression. And many suffer silently. Change to Chill is focused on reducing the stigma around mental health, and we can help you take action.

The 5 levels of stress as defined by mental health professionals are:

  • Alarm. Doctors also call this level of stress an acute stress reaction. It happens after a stress trigger occurs that results in a fight or flight response. Physical symptoms of alarm include sweating, increased body temperature and dry mouth.
  • Resistance. This is when our bodies release anti-inflammatory hormones to start bringing us back to a calmer state. Taking advantage of the hormone boost can help us clear our minds and decide how we can better deal with stressful situations next time. 
  • Recovery. Recognizing the causes of stress in our lives is key to recovering from the toll it’s taking on our physical and mental health. Recovering from stressful situations can be as simple as using mindfulness tools or protecting your sleep habits. 
  • Adaption. Have a positive mindset about the changes you are putting into play to reduce stress in your life. Give yourself permission to adapt to a new way of handling challenging circumstances. Follow a healthy diet, get more exercise or talk to a mental health professional.
  • Burnout. If we find ourselves, at the end of the 5 levels of stress still unable to cope, we are in danger of burnout. Signs that you may be on the cusp of burnout are feeling negative, overly cynical, emotionally drained or unusually exhausted. This is when mental health professionals recommend reevaluating the causes of stress in your life — and finding actions to help regain your footing before burnout occurs.

What to do when stress becomes unbearable?

There’s only one thing to do when stress becomes unbearable: Ask for help. Stress in teenagers is a growing concern, with most expressing stress in ways that are similar to adults. But unlike adults, teens are more inclined to admit they believe their stress levels are higher than they think is healthy.

According to the APA, signs of acute stress in teenagers include:

  • A drop in school performance and overall grades
  • An increase in general worries
  • Mood swings and angry outbursts
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent headaches or stomachaches
  • Expressions of sadness
  • Boredom and lack of motivation
  • A decrease in social interactions with friends
  • The use of alcohol or drugs
  • Talk of hopelessness or injuring themselves

The first step to take when stress becomes unbearable is to talk about it. There are many causes of teenage stress, and what is difficult for one to manage may be easier for another. That doesn’t mean the stress you’re feeling is less important. We all deal with stress differently — but having a support system of people we trust is key for managing stress.

Remember, there is no shame in talking to someone about our stress levels. Doing so also helps reduce the stigma around stress and related conditions. Try to confide in someone you trust, whether it’s a parent, friend, teacher or counselor.

RECAP: How to deal with stress as a teenager

This article outlined 10 facts about teenage stress and explored why youth are more stressed today. It also discussed the five levels of stress from two points of view and offered ways to provide stress relief for teens. Change to Chill works every day to reduce stress by talking about how to deal with stress as a teenager. Here are 12 examples of good stress management techniques you can use immediately for positive results: 

    • Exercise regularly and eat healthy food.
    • Get enough sleep and have a good sleep routine.
    • Avoid excess caffeine, which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
    • Avoid illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
    • Learn relaxation exercises (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques).
    • Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in polite, firm, and not overly aggressive or passive ways: (“I feel angry when you yell at me,” or “Please stop yelling”).
    • Rehearse and practice situations that cause stress. One example is taking a speech class if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
    • Learn practical coping skills. For example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
    • Decrease negative self-talk. Challenge negative thoughts with alternative, neutral or positive thoughts. For example, “My life will never get better” can be changed into “I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.”
    • Learn to feel good about doing a competent or “good enough” job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
    • Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
    • Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way. 

We are committed to serving up healthy ways to deal with stress — and that means reducing the stigma around mental health. Our goal is to give teens relevant tools and resources to better manage stress and anxiety so they can live happier and more resilient lives.

We know there are many strategies to address stress relief for teens but only one way to do it: together.

Want to learn how to Change to Chill? Get started by making a difference — in classrooms, homes and communities. We are here to help. And we can start showing you what chilling should look like.