Mental Health

🌿 What Is Stress?

Stress is a normal reaction to heavy, overwhelming and challenging life situations or pressure. Stress may cause your body or mind to feel tense but stress is also your brain's way of protecting you. This means that stress is not always a bad thing. Sometimes stress can help you remember about a deadline or react quickly when you need to. Stress becomes a problem when it isn't just a temporary feeling anymore, it starts lasting for weeks or more and affects your daily life.

What does Stress feel like?

Stress can feel different for everyone. Sometimes it can be a feeling of a busy or worried mind but stress can be felt physically. It can cause your body to be tense, make it harder to relax or affect your energy, daily routine and show up in ways you don't realize.

Common signs include:

• Fast heart rate
• Having a busy mind or constantly overthinking
• Feeling tired even after resting
• Having trouble focusing or staying organized
• Feeling tense, restless or easily irritated

🚨 What can trigger stress?

Living in New York CIty can be a lot of pressure. Things such as regents exams, college & high school applications, busy schedules, noisy environments and social/family situations. All these things play a role in stress and many teenagers like you also experience the same issues therefore, you're not alone. What are some ways to cope with these situations?

Ways to Cope:

📞 When Should You Reach Out For Help?

As said before, It's common to feel stressed especially as a teenager in New York City. But you shouldn't have to carry all that pressure on your own. If you start to constantly feel overwhelmed, isolating yourself, and feeling drained for weeks consider reaching to someone you trust or a professional.

Resources For NYC Teens