Reducing Teen Stress for Success!

Shelby Henderson, PLMHP

Stress is common in life, but for you it seems unmanageable at times. You feel the constant pressure from parents, peers, and teachers to outperform everyone else, but is it really coming from them or is coming from within? You go to school constantly feeling anxious because you fear that you will miss a question on your test or that you won’t be able to answer your teacher’s questions exactly as they want. You personally make sure that all of your classes are advanced placement classes so that you know you are taking the hardest classes offered. When you are not working on homework, leading club meetings, or perfecting that extra curricular activity you feel lost and do not know what to do with yourself. You do not know the meaning of relax because you always have to be doing something productive. When someone else corrects you for a minor incident, you mentally beat yourself up for the rest of the day. Shame follows anytime you believe someone out-performed you or that you did not give it every ounce of effort.

Adolescents are under great pressure, but it is possible to live a successful life without constantly tearing yourself up for a small mistake. Being able to give your best effort, see success, and be happy with the results, even if they are not perfect, can be achieved. When you understand what your constant drive for perfection is covering up, you are better able to accept yourself for who you are. Every adolescent is capable of amazing achievements without having to be under constant stress and feeling anxious on a daily basis.

I am here to help you learn how to better cope with stress in order to be able to enjoy life and understand that your best effort is all that you need. By looking at what your priorities are in life, we can work together to decide on what aspects of life are important to focus on. By focusing on the most important aspects of life, we can reduce the amount of stress and anxiety you feel on a daily basis. I also work with you to challenge those beliefs you have on the need to perform perfectly at everything, and help you understand what fears you have over not being perfect. This deeper understanding allows you to look at these beliefs and question how accurate they really are. When focusing on priorities, using your strengths, and creating positive thoughts, you will able to overcome stressors in your life. If you are tired of being constantly stressed at school and want to find a better balance in life, call me today at 402-325-0117 x13 to learn more or schedule an appointment, or book an appointment online!

Shelby Henderson, M.Ed., PLMHP
Adultspan Counseling
1001 S 70th St #225
Lincoln, NE 68510