Denise Pope, Ph.D., who is one of my favorite resources, is a Senior Lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, where she specializes in student engagement, curriculum studies, qualitative research methods, and service learning. She is the author of, “Doing School”: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students (Yale University Press, 2001)

She writes: “Through creative strategies, secondary schools can reduce academic stress and make learning more meaningful.

A high school counselor boasts about the “best and brightest” students in her school. They are motivated and diligent. They enroll in honors and advanced placement courses and achieve high grades and test scores. They play sports, participate in theater and music programs, and serve as community volunteers and school leaders. They “do everything and do it well.”

But recent research shows a different, more troubling view. To get ahead, many of these high-achieving students feel compelled to compromise their values and manipulate the system. They admit to scheming, lying, and cheating to get the grades they believe they need for future success. They aren’t engaged in meaningful learning experiences. Instead they are busy, in their own words, ‘doing school.’”

I recently worked with a group of high school juniors in an afterschool program. These students were just as Denise described, stressed out and just “doing school” to survive the year. Often during our sessions, one of the teens would break down in tears, or zone out or give themselves a headache or other physical ailment because of how much stress they were under. Not only were they worried about their grades, they were studying for the SATs, ACTs and preparing for the process of applying to colleges.

During this after-school program, we worked on ways to manage stress. Here are a few tips and tricks to get organized, find healthy outlets and identify resources to help teens, and adults manage when they are feeling overwhelmed.

“Get moving” as Michelle Obama would say. One of the best ways to manage stress is exercise. Some of us hear that word and it can temporarily cause more stress BUT According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “The physical benefits of exercise—improving physical condition and fighting disease—have long been established, and physicians always encourage staying physically active. Exercise is also considered vital for maintaining mental fitness, and it can reduce stress. Studies show that it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function. This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate.” Go for a walk, do yoga, go for a run or simply walk your pet for 30 minutes every day. Don’t overthink it. We are very good at talking ourselves out of exercise. Just put on your tennis shoes and get out!

One might ask how do I even find 30 minutes a day? If you can organize your “must dos” ahead of time, you will be surprised how many pockets of 30 minutes exist every week. I call this the “Post It Method.” Take a pad of post-its and write down everything you have to get done during the next week. Put all of these post-its on a mirror. Take a window marker and write in the days of the week at the top of the mirror. Start moving the post-its around based on which are of the highest priority. We function best at the beginning of the week so put the highest priority tasks on Monday and Tuesday. Then organize everything else. The great thing about post-its is that they move! If you need to change a task, simply peel it off and move it to another day. You will find that giving yourself a visual tool for what seems to be stressing you out will actually help you manage your time and give you opportunities to do the things you love!

Finding a healthy outlet is also an amazing and enjoyable way to manage your stress. What is a healthy outlet? A healthy outlet is something not related do our daily tasks and to-dos. Some people enjoy reading, painting, drawing, running, etc. A healthy outlet will help you manage your stress and you can build it into your daily schedule using the above mentioned “Post –It” method. One of my favorite outlets is micrography. You start by drawing a picture. You then fill in the lines of the picture with words. This can be your favorite poem, random streams of consciousness, whatever. Use different colored pencils to enhance your picture. Soon you will find that time has passed and your brain has been able to rest and you maybe created something colorful and amazing.

Often times, our go to during stressful times is sugar. Unfortunately, sugar gives us a short quick boost of energy and then zaps whatever energy we have left. Reach for healthier alternatives like a handful of nuts and a few pieces of dried mango or other unsweetened dried fruit. Also, apples, due to their delicious crunch, are also great energy boosters. Basically, pair a piece of fruit (which has vitamins and fiber to help keep us full) with protein for prolonged energy.

Ask for help! If you are a teen or are working with teens, identify yourself as a resource. Often times, teens just need to vent. They need an open non-judgmental, non-advice giving ear. As we say things out loud, the things that are stressing us out become less intimidating and often times; we are able to solve our own problems. If the stress is affecting your ability to get things done, it is time to seek professional help. There are so many talented professionals ready to help teens, all you need to do is pick up the phone and call a few until you find one you “click” with. Make the call; it will be worth it in the long run.

Finally, don’t for get to breathe. When we get stressed out, our breaths get shorter and we aren’t giving our brain the oxygen it needs to be alert. This is why we often get tired and things get fuzzy when we are stressed out. Take a few deep breathes every 20 minutes or so.

Life is full of overwhelming times, if we can give teens tools to deal with their stress, stress will be come fleeting moments that they shoo away like an annoying fly instead of letting it feel like a massive road block.

Cassie Weinstock M.S.W., M.A.J.N.M for Smart Choices

Cassie Weinstock has been working with teens to guide them towards self-empowerment for over 20 years.