Stress: Here’s how to deal with it

Whether it is the soul-crushing pressure of board exams, parents who seem to be speaking a different language, or friends who act like judges on a reality show, stress is everywhere. Aarav, Sara, and their friends are going through it right now. Let’s look at what is actually happening.

Chapter 1: The midnight grind

Aarav has been staring at the same paragraph of his Economics textbook for forty minutes. It is 2:00 AM. His desk is a graveyard of empty coffee mugs and crumpled snack wrappers. He can hear his dad’s voice in his head, already rehearsing the “I am disappointed” speech if Aarav doesn’t land that scholarship. His heart is thumping like a bass drum, and he is pretty sure he has forgotten how to breathe normally.

Chapter 2: The social shadow

Sara is hiding in the school bathroom. She just saw a notification that Aditi posted a photo from the weekend. Everyone is in it except her. To make things worse, someone commented on Sara’s last post saying her new glasses make her look like a “disturbed owl.” Now, she is convinced everyone in the hallway is laughing at her. She feels sick to her stomach and just wants to disappear.

Chapter 3: The “too much” plate

Aarav’s phone is buzzing. It is his friend Aryan, who is pushing him to try a cigarette to “chill out.” Meanwhile, his mom is shouting about him not helping with his sister. On top of that, he is “on read” by his crush, and he has a football trial tomorrow. He feels like a computer that has too many tabs open and is about to crash.

Chapter 4: Zero battery

Sara used to love the school play. But lately, even the thought of rehearsal makes her feel like she is moving through wet cement. Her favorite playlist sounds annoying, her head has a dull ache that won’t go away, and she just snapped at her brother for no reason. She isn’t just tired; she feels like her “internal battery” is broken and won’t hold a charge anymore.

Chapter 5: The recovery phase

Aarav finally decides to close the book. He takes ten deep breaths and puts his phone on “Do Not Disturb.” He realizes his worth isn’t tied to one exam. He decides to talk to his older cousin who always keeps it real. Slowly, the “heavy” feeling starts to lift.

Your stress survival toolkit

1. The stress mapping exercise

Stress likes to hide in your body. Take a moment to scan yourself from head to toe.

• The jaw clench: If your teeth are touching, drop your jaw and relax your tongue.
• The shoulder shrug: Drop your shoulders away from your ears to release your “armor.”
• The pit in the stomach: Recognize that nausea is just your body saving energy for a “fight.”
• Cold hands: This is just blood moving to your heart to help you “survive.”

2. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique

When the world feels like it is spinning too fast, use your five senses to pull your brain back to the “right now.”

• 5 things you can see: A crack in the wall, a specific color.
• 4 things you can touch: Your shirt, a cold desk, your hair.
• 3 things you can hear: The AC hum, a bird, your breathing.
• 2 things you can smell: Laundry detergent, pencil lead.
• 1 thing you can taste: Toothpaste or just the inside of your mouth.

3. Peer pressure hacks

• The Ghost: Just walk away. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.
• The Hard No: “Nah, I’m good” works better than a long excuse.
• The Pivot: “I’m not into that, let’s just go get a burger instead.”

Don’t forget to check out TeenBook’s podcast on How to deal with stress.