Stress Management Management Techniques How Relaxation Exercise Can Help Teens Relieve Stress By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter linkedin instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of the Mentally Strong People podcast. Learn about our editorial process Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Aron Janssen, MD on May 05, 2020 linkedin Aron Janssen, MD is board certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and is the vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry Northwestern University. Learn about our Review Board Aron Janssen, MD on May 05, 2020 Print Andrew Olney / DigitalVision / Getty Images You might think your teen doesn't have much stress in her life. After all, she doesn't have to pay the bills, work a full-time job, or manage a busy household. But the truth is, today's teens are stressed out. In fact, the 2014 Stress in America survey found that teens are experiencing even more stress than adults. They're worried about school, their friends, romantic relationships, money, and their futures. Some of them are dealing with even bigger issues, like bullying and depression. Sadly, stressed-out teens are turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their overwhelming feelings. Overeating, playing endless hours of video games, avoiding homework, or abusing substances are just a few of the unhealthy ways some teens are trying to manage their stress. It’s important to teach your teen a variety of healthy stress management strategies, including relaxation skills that offer some immediate stress relief. Whether your teen is already displaying signs that she’s stressed out, or you’re hoping to give her some skills as preventative measures, here are five relaxation exercises that can help your teen manage stress: 1. Yoga Yoga offers a variety of physical and mental health benefits, such as improved flexibility, posture, and strength as well as a sense of inner calm. Teens can learn yoga in a variety of ways. Attend a yoga class with your teen and you’ll gain the added benefit of spending quality time together or look for yoga videos that will let you practice in the privacy of your own home. 2. Meditation Getting teens to slow down and focus on one thing at a time can be a challenge in today’s digital world. But learning how to do so through meditation can provide improved physical and emotional benefits. Meditation has been linked to everything from increased happiness to improved immunity. There are several different types of meditation, but at the core of all of them is the desire to calm the mind. Explore meditation tutorials, guided meditation, or meditation books to learn meditation skills. Your teen may enjoy a meditation app. Many of them will walk your teen through meditation strategies step-by-step and offer reminders to meditate every day. 3. Deep Breathing When people feel anxious, they often take shallow and rapid breaths, which can induce physiological changes—like an increased heart rate—which can add to the stress. One of the simplest relaxation exercises involves breathing. Teach your teen to take deep slow breaths when she’s feeling anxious. Just a few deep breaths can provide an instant calming effect that can help reduce stress. Look for books or online resources that offer tutorials about breathing exercises. 4. Imagery Envisioning a "happy place" can help your brain take a vacation from whatever stress your teen is experiencing. Tell your teen to write down a description of her favorite happy place. It could be a cabin in the woods, a sandy beach, or even your backyard. Request that she describes how it looks, feels, smells, and sounds—the more details the better. When she’s stressed out, tell her to close her eyes and spend a few minutes imagining that scene. 5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Stress can cause people to tense their muscles, and the tenser they feel, the more stressed out they become. Letting go of that tension through progressive muscle relaxation can be a simple way to let go of stress. Progressive muscle relaxation can raise your teen’s awareness of muscle tension. Encourage your teen to start tensing and relaxing each muscle group—moving from her toes all the way up to her head. By the time she’s done, all of her muscles should be relaxed. There are lots of tutorials that can walk you through progressive muscle relaxation as well. Some teens enjoy listening to an audio clip that describes how to tense and relax each muscle group. Practice Relaxation Skills Teens with healthy self-soothing skills are equipped to handle the realities of the adult world. When she knows how to manage stress, she'll be willing to do hard things, pick herself up when she fails, or tackle new challenges. Just like all new skills, relaxation exercises require practice. The first few times your teen tries them, she may report it wasn’t helpful. But with regular practice, these skills can greatly help her reduce stress. Learn and practice new relaxation skills with your teen. Doing so, won’t just help you manage your stress, it will also give you an opportunity to try something new together, which can help you maintain a healthy relationship. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Struggling with stress? Our guide offers expert advice on how to better manage stress levels. Get it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bethune S. Teen stress rivals that of adults. Monitor on Psychology. 2014 Apr 45(4):20 Black D, Slavich G. Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016;1373(1):13-24. doi:10.1111%2Fnyas.12998 Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389%2Ffnhum.2018.00353 Zargarzadeh M, Shirazi M. The effect of progressive muscle relaxation method on test anxiety in nursing students. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2014;19(6):607-12. Additional Reading Gallant SN. Mindfulness meditation practice and executive functioning: Breaking down the benefit. Consciousness and Cognition. 2016;40:116-130. Nanthakumar C. The benefits of yoga in children. Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2018;16(1):14-19.