Everywhere we go and everything we do puts pressure on teenagers. At home, we are under stress to succeed in school, sports, and other activities. At school, we are pressured to do well and work hard by teachers and coaches. In social situations, we are often persuaded by peers to do drugs, alcohol, and other unhealthy things. I, as a teenager, feel that nobody should ever be under so much pressure that it hurts.

Stress is like diving into a pool and feeling the pressure as you hit the water. The surface tension pushes against you hard if you are diving from a high distance.

Teens think that to avoid pressure from parents and teachers they have to spend all their time working and studying. To avoid pressure from coaches, teens spend too much time exercising to improve in their sport. To avoid pressure from peers, we often do whatever they tell us, no matter how bad it is. If we are trying to spend all of our time studying, but we have to work out, we will literally drive ourselves crazy! If we are doing drugs and drinking alcohol, we won't be able to study or play sports.

Relieving the pressure must be done in different ways. At home, you should feel strong enough to tell your parents that they are putting too much pressure on you. If you are not comfortable confronting your parents, try writing them a note telling them how you feel. At school, you can talk to your teachers and coaches. If you are shy about talking to them, you can try doing something to help yourself. Get an organizer or a notebook to help you keep a schedule of your responsibilities. This will prevent procrastination, so you won't need to do everything at the last minute. In social situations, you can take courses to learn how to say "No" and stick to your decision. Or, try to avoid places where you know there could be trouble.

Stress is only bad when there is too much of it. Sometimes being under a little bit of stress will keep you on top of your tasks. This is good because it keeps you organized and gives you a push to do what you have to. ?