Dear Yipeng,

Unfortunately, adults often underestimate the amount of stress that young people experience. High school is a particularly stressful time in terms of social, emotional, and academic pressures. Often parents assume that because you’re young, not working a full-time job, and/or raising a family, that you have nothing to be stressed about. As you know, this is simply not true. The teen years are actually one of the most stressful stages of a person’s lifetime.

The good news is that there are many ways to manage stress. One option is to evaluate your daily activities. Are you overbooked with too many after-school activities? If you have some free time after school, consider taking a yoga class or learning how to meditate. Research shows that meditation can significantly reduce stress. There are also a variety of easy-to-learn relaxation techniques. These include: Deep breathing (breathing in deeply, holding your breath for a second or two, and breathing out slowly) and visual imagery (closing your eyes and imagining yourself in a relaxing place, focusing your mind on all the details of this place). In addition, physical exercise has been found to be beneficial.

If you feel like relaxation techniques aren’t enough, consider visiting a therapist. In addition to teaching relaxation techniques, mental health professionals can also help with a variety of other strategies including changing thinking patterns, which often fuel feelings of stress. While no one can live stress-free, there’s a lot that you can do to better manage your stress.