Happy New Year! Holiday break is over and it is back to reality - back to work and back to school. For your teens this means that finals are just around the corner and they may be starting to feel a bit stressed. Stress is a part of all of our lives and can often be a motivating factor for us to push ourselves and achieve success. Teens, however, say they are feeling increasing levels of stress and most have not yet developed the proper coping mechanisms to keep stress levels in check.

Without guidance from a parent or caregiver, teens will often find their own ways of coping, sometimes involving unhealthy behaviors such as drug use, alcohol consumption, or smoking.

• A 2007 Partnership for a Drug-Free America study indicated that the number one reason teens use drugs is to cope with school stress.
• High stressed-teens are approximately twice more likely to use drugs and alcohol than teens with low levels of stress.

For more information on teen stress signals, click here.

• Watch for signs of school related stress and stress-related behaviors such as anxiety, irritability, moodiness, problems sleeping or eating, feelings or expressions of hopelessness, depression, drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs.
• Teach your kids time-management skills. With today's heavy homework loads, time-management and organizational skills are crucial weapons against stress.
• Consider whether your child is over-scheduled with extracurricular activities or advanced courses.
• Encourage sleep, exercise, and family mealtimes.
• Adequate sleep alone would make a big difference in teens' stress levels. Most teens do not get the recommended 9 ½ hours a night.
• Exercise provides an outlet for stress.
• Child-parent communication relieves stress.
• Watch the parental pressure in determining what your child needs to do to be "successful". Some parents may not realize they're making school stress worse by pressuring their kids to excel.
• Praise your teen. Teens who receive genuine praise from their parents and the adults around them have more self-confidence and a higher self-esteem. By providing your child with this basic foundation, your teen will be better able to handle stress.

For more tips on helping your teens deal with school stress, click here.