School, extra-curricular activities, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends and a job can equal too much stress and too little rest for teens.
.:read more:.

Today, more than ever it seems, teenagers are at no loss for involvement in activities. Teens are very active with Family, school, church, friends, neighborhood sports leagues and clubs. Next, you ask yourself can anyone — even an energetic teenager — do it all? Keeping stress and a workload at a healthy level for teens with a full schedule can be difficult. The added stress of a job in high school can wreak havoc on a teen’s school, family and social life. Being overworked can wear teens down and some catch colds or mononucleosis. We must learn time management skills and set priorities. Parents need to guide their teenager on how many

activities are healthy and to not become over committed. Many of us, want to purchase expensive cars that in turn require expensive insurance.  A lot of times, we end up working the maximum hours allowed to pay for these “want not need” items. In order to avoid becoming run down, teens need to prioritize and organize their schoolwork and after school life.

Overworked Teens and Sicknesses-

Teens who try to do too much sometimes become ill from the stress and little rest. They may have migraine headaches, catch a virus or colds and/or contract Mononucleosis.

The website Medline Plus defines Mononucleosis, Mono or the Kissing Disease as a viral infection that causes fevers, sore throat and swollen lymph glands, especially in the neck. It is transmitted by saliva. It may begin with fatigue, headache and sore throat. Slowly, the sore throat becomes worse. Often swollen tonsils will become covered with a whitish-yellow covering. A sign for parents to watch for, would be a lump on the neck where the lymph nodes are swollen and painful. Teens need to rest and some do not recover for up to six weeks. Also, teens need to learn a healthy balance of school, work, family and friends. It is a life-long lesson that many adults have yet to learn.

Hardworking Teens
Most of these hardworking teens get jobs in the retail industry, with more than half employed in restaurants and grocery stores. A quarter of young workers are employed in the health-care industry, while 8% work in agriculture.

Too Many Hours
Soon, teens may not be the ones deciding how many hours a week they want to sell sweater sets or flip flapjacks: A panel of labor experts has recommended that Congress give the U.S. Department of Labor the authority to limit the number of hours worked during the school year by youngsters under age 18.

Sure, a teenager who works part-time may be learning something about responsibility, punctuality and money management. However, studies show that when teens work for 20 hours or more a week (as nearly half of U.S. 12th graders do during the school year), the job isn't just good practice for the future. Overworked teens sacrifice sleep and exercise.  They also spend less time with their families and cut back on homework.

That's not even the worst of it: A 1998 report by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine shows that students who worked 15 hours a week had lower grades, higher dropout rates and were less likely to go to college.  What should we do to help better the work situation for teens?  What should the government do for families with teens that work because the family income is low or they are helping to pay bills or lighten the load on single parents? I am one of those teens that work to help my mother out and save for college. It is hard sometimes and I do get burnt out A LOT !

Here are a few “action steps” that I do to help me during my “burn-out” mode. These steps could be useful for other teens as well.

Action Steps

1. Do a "too-busy" checkup:
   • List all the activities you're committed to — daily, weekly, seasonally and occasionally.
   • Divide them into 3 groups: essential, important and pleasurable
   • Beside each, write down something you must say "no" to, in order to prioritize. Take your time and be honest.
   • Determine if you're doing too much and how you can adjust your schedule
2. Schedule a prayerful "Day Alone with God" in a quiet, secluded place.

It’s tempting to look at young people as having unlimited energy reserves, but they don’t. My action steps are ways I “re-focus” and accomplished needed task, because teenagers can get stressed and burnt out too.

center stage magazine

beginning of article