The holidays are a time of joy and celebration for many people, but for teenagers, they can be a stressful time. Most of us look forward to the winter break, but sometimes it’s not the relaxing few weeks we hoped for. Here’s why:
The pressure to be happy: The holidays are often associated with feelings of joy and togetherness, but for teenagers, this can be a lot of pressure. We may feel like we have to put on a happy face and act cheerful, even if we’re not feeling that way inside.
The challenge of balancing school and family obligations: The holidays are a busy time for everyone, but for us, it can be especially challenging. We have to find balance between school work, extracurricular activities, and family obligations, all while trying to enjoy the holiday spirit. Sometimes we even have homework assigned over the break, or standardized tests to study for, so it’s not always much of a break. This can lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress.
The difficulty of being left out: Because the holidays are so social, we’re bound to be left out of things that we see on social media. We’re also disconnected from our normal social interaction at school because people are away, so we have less built-in support.
We might not have the perfect family. The images we see of the holidays are always of happy, close families celebrating together, but not all families are like this. Some people’s parents are divorced, or there’s conflict in the family, or you don’t get along with your siblings, and it can feel lonely to be stuck at home in these situations with no other outlet.
So here’s what you can do: Teens should try to be understanding and supportive during this time. Let’s look out for one another to help us navigate the challenges of the holiday season.