Stress Signals!

Stress can have many signals. Your feelings, thoughts, behaviors and even your body can let you know when it's getting to be too much.

Is all stress the same?

Everybody experiences stress in their own way. Something that is stressful to your friend may not seem stressful to you, and vice versa. It's all about how you interpret what you're going through, and what you do with your feelings. We run into trouble when we don't know how to deal with these feelings, we stress too much, or we stress over things we can't control.

Responding to Stress

To take control, put together a healthy coping strategy that makes sense for you.

• Recognize when you're feeling overloaded by stress. Some of us are so stressed, it just seems normal. It's important to learn to recognize how stress shows up in your body and mind. There are many physical and mental signs of stress.
   
• Figure out what is making you feel stressed. All kinds of things - even good things - can cause stress. They can range from big things, like dealing with a serious illness, to everyday things, like having too much homework.

  Having a bunch of small things stress you out can be just as much of a problem as having a couple of big ones.
   

• Take control by coping in healthy ways.
   
• Find ways to reduce stress in your life.

Things that can stress you out:

• Friendships or romantic relationships
• Not having enough money
• Dealing with racism, sexism, homophobia, or adultism
• Bullying
• Family problems
• Death of someone close
• Having too many time commitments
• Reaching an important goal, like graduating from school
• Being hungry
• Living in a tough neighborhood
• Immigration issues
• School, homework, and a whole lot more!