Teen Stress

By Angela Coon

Getting your teen to do anything with rigor and consistency can be one of the many challenges we face as parents. Sleep deprivation, overuse of screens, insomnia, social pressures, and heavy homework with extracurricular activities can lead to a lowered immune system via the pathway of stress. This can manifest as constant colds, stomach aches, and missing school, to name a few, which can become a real nuisance.

If we were to Venn diagram the most common issues and concerns that teens or parents have, it might look like this: sleep, skin, colds and flus, poor diet, and emotions/stress. These, of course, all depend on your child and your child‘s constitution. As gatekeepers of health, we can try to help nip some of the negative outcomes of stress in the bud, so to speak.

Here are some simple tools to have at hand that directly and indirectly support your child’s ups and downs, making things a little smoother.

• Add calcium and magnesium before bed. Minerals are sorely lacking in our soil, and most of us are deficient in them. Since eating veggies may be questionable, supplements are a type of insurance. Epsom salts are wonderful and relaxing, and are made of magnesium, another effective way to use minerals. If you have access to a bathtub, add 1-2 cups.
• Lavender oil is very supportive. Its essential oil properties invoke calm, whether used in a bath, a diffuser, or topically. It’s easy to travel with too!
• For simple stress-related matters, try Bach Flower Rescue Remedy throughout the day. A few sprays here and there can temper stress build-up, keeping things generally more at ease.
• Encourage a healthy, high-protein snack half an hour before bed. Blood sugar can often play an important role in mood and sleep, so if your teen seems antsy, offer some sliced turkey, hard-boiled eggs, or nut butter.
• Fresh and fermented foods whenever you can! Food is medicine! Keep the gut happy, and the immune system is happy.

All of these tools are safe and work wonders for the whole family. You can purchase Rescue Remedy, high-quality calcium, magnesium, and essential oil of lavender here at Energy Matters. To schedule your teen with Angela for help with any teen health challenges, click here.