Be a Stress Buster: Healthy Ways to Handle Life’s Pressure

By Anika Ganesh

We all feel it. School deadlines. Friend drama, dating nightmares, endless scrolling. It’s called stress — and if you’ve been overwhelmed lately, you’re definitely not alone.

In today’s fast-paced world, stress is something we all experience — especially teens. Whether it’s pressure from academics, social life, or just keeping up with everything, stress can take a toll on our mental and physical health. But here’s the good news: we have the power to manage it in healthy, positive ways.

🔍 What Does Stress Look Like?

Stress shows up differently for everyone. In our session, we talked about some common signs, including:

• 😓 Feeling overwhelmed or anxious

• 🧠 Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

• 💬 Withdrawing from friends or becoming irritable

• 🤕 Headaches, fatigue, or physical discomfort

Recognizing these signs is the first step toward managing stress. Once we know what’s happening, we can start to take action.

🛠️ Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

We explored a variety of positive coping strategies that are easy to use and truly helpful:

• 🌬️ Deep breathing techniques, like the 4–7–8 method

• ✍️ Journaling or drawing to express emotions

• 🎵 Listening to calming music

• 🚶‍♀️ Physical activity — like walking or dancing

• 🗣️ Talking to a trusted friend or adult

• 💭 Positive self-talk and humor

Not every method works for everyone — the key is to find what works for you. Trying different strategies is part of the journey.

✅ Coping Checklist Activity

As a hands-on activity, we completed the “Coping With Stress” checklist, where participants reflected on:

• Which healthy coping methods they already use

• Which ones they want to try

• A personal stress-relief goal to practice during the week

This activity helped participants become more self-aware and intentional about how they handle tough moments.

🎨 DIY Stress Balls: A Fun Way to Release Tension

One of the highlights of the session was making our own stress balls! Using balloons and flour or rice, each person created a squeezable stress-relief tool they could personalize and keep.

It was not only fun, but also a great reminder that simple tools can make a big difference in how we feel.

💬 What’s Your Stress Buster?

This blog is a powerful reminder that stress is normal — but we don’t have to face it alone or feel stuck. Whether it’s through movement, creativity, or connection, you have what it takes to manage stress in healthy ways.

Do you have a favorite way to relieve stress?💬 Share it with me on Instagram using #HealthRocksWithAnika  

Let’s inspire each other to lead healthier, happier lives — one deep breath at a time.

Let’s support each other with kindness, creativity, and calm.