Contrary to popular belief, Time magazine states that numbers of people stressed and depressed in today’s world is actually dropping. Even though this seems like a positive statistic, the lack of knowledge and help for stress prevention is clear in our society; this is bound to lead to a reverse in the current trend. While it is a glaring potential that the levels of stress in teens will grow, this does not mean the seemingly imminent stress falling over you is an inevitable part of modern teenage life. There happen to be many effective (and legal) ways to relieve stress.

1. Exercise – The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has stated that any kind of exercise or physical activity releases endorphins. These are chemicals in the brain that help you become happier and act as natural painkillers. They also happen to help people sleep which in turn relieves stress.
2. Playing with a Pet – Pets are a great way to relieve stress because pets are always positive and always supporting no matter when or what kind of stress you are going through.Animals are often used as aids for children with mental disabilities who require the unconditional love of an animal. Ian Cook, MD, a psychiatrist and director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA wrote in his studies that “Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression.”
3. Listen to music – Listening to music is suggested to beneficially impact health via stress-reducing effects in “The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response”, a scientific article published by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Music will help get your mind off any things that may be stressing you out. It helps to listen to calming music, like classical, but any type of music that suits your tastes will be effective.
4. Eat right – Even though a nice burger from your local fast food restaurant will taste good at the time, processed foods often lead to bloating, heartburn, and headaches. Along with this, it is proven by studies by the Public Health Information Journal that eating junk food often can lead to depression. Eating healthy food has the opposite effect on your body, it leaves you feeling recharged and healthy.
5. Drink tea – Studies were conducted by psychologists at City University in London that show that drinking tea during anxiety or panic attack will actually help soothe these feelings. Black tea, in particular’s, chemical properties have been commonly linked with helping people recover from stress.
6. Get off of social media – Social media can be depressing. Whether it’s comparing your life to other people’s seemingly amazing lives or the constant spew of negativity that some users’ posts include, social media can often bring your mood down. Getting off social media can help shut out that negativity from your life and greatly reduce your stress.
7. Coloring – Coloring is one of the most underrated ways to relieve stress. Taking a quick break from whatever you’re doing to draw some random doodles or color in a picture. These can work wonders in freeing your mind and helping you relax. “When I’m spending a lot of mental energy on certain thoughts and emotions, art gives me an outlet for these thoughts. It gives me a place to go where I can concentrate on my own feelings and work through any issues I may be going through,” Senior Maddie Smith said.
8. Meditate – Since the ancient ages, people have been using meditation to clear their minds and reduce stress. Studies from researchers at John Hopkins University suggest that meditation can help help prevent and heal any kind of stress that students may come upon such as anxiety, depression, and pain.
9. Write – Writing can have various purposes when it comes to dealing with stress. Writing out a list of the things that you need to get done can often make them seem less intimidating and their completion a do-able task. Additionally, much like drawing, taking a short break to write fiction (or at least something less goal oriented than a list) can help get your mind off the stressful aspects in your life and help you calm down.