Stress is a state, not just an emotion.

⠀
In other words, stress is the result of our reaction to external circumstances. We feel pressured, overwhelmed, or even unable to cope with the situation. To learn to recognize stress, you need to be able to separate your own emotions and feelings from the states that we get into due to our behavior and circumstances.
⠀
It's not about fighting "against" or "for", but about understanding what external factors affect our state and how we react to these circumstances. It is important to realize that the behavior we choose to overcome stress also plays a huge role.
⠀
Children and adolescents cannot always recognize their emotions or do not have enough vocabulary to describe them. Younger children, due to their age and level of development, may not even understand what is happening around them. For them, new situations can be unusual, uncomfortable, or even frightening. Here, the task of adults is to help the child express his emotional states in any available way: through drawing, dancing, music, sports or other creative forms.
⠀
How to recognize stress in a child or teenager?🤔
⠀
🔸 Physical manifestations of stress can include:
Shallow breathing, sweating, rapid heartbeat.
Headaches, sleep problems, dizziness.
Nausea, digestive disorders.
Weight changes, overeating or malnutrition.
Frequent pain or malaise.
⠀
🔸 Emotional and mental manifestations:
Irritability, anger or withdrawal from family and friends.
Neglect of duties, difficulty concentrating.
Constant sadness or crying.
⠀
These symptoms can further increase stress, so it is important to teach the child or teenager to cope with them in order to act at the initial stages of stress.
⠀
There are several techniques for managing stress, we have described them in detail in the carousel.