If you’re a teenager in high school, this time of year can be a pretty stressful time of year. Dr Fleury, mother of two teenagers and one university student, discuss some of the top stressors and what they can do to offset the effects of the stress on Global News Morning Saskatoon.
What is the best strategy when your teenager is feeling stressed?
Keep your teenager on their regular routine when they are feeling stress, especially while preparing for exams rather than spending every moment studying and preparing. This means to eat regularly and to choose healthy foods that are not high in sugars or carbohydrates, to stay with your exercise routine, and to do your best to get enough sleep, which as a teenager can be close to impossible, but doing your best to get as much rest as possible to help your brain retrieve all the information that’s been crammed into it with all the studying. I thought these were pretty wise words right from the mouths of babes.
Best breakfast for teenagers on the go?
- Having on hand quick and nutrient dense energy bars that they can tuck into their back packs
- Handing them a protein smoothie. Click here for my favourite protein powders.
- Bulletproof coffee is also a good option as they head out the door can often be enough to help keep them going for many hours until they can sit for a good meal. High quality fats are the key to keeping their brains functioning for long periods of time.
Focus on the things you can manage, like diet and exercise.
Since stress is really anything that causes your body to react or respond, the more you control the things you have control over like your diet, exercise, rest and time for laughter and play, the better able you are to cope with the unpredictable things in your life, like a tough exam if you’re a teenager, or work or other life stressors no matter what stage of life you’re in.
If you’d like some further support for a teenager in your life, please click below to book an appointment.
