M.J.Strategies+to+cope

M.J. strategies to cope
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Adolescence is the time when both males and females begin changing from a child to an adult. Adolescence may be a tough time for both teens and parents. It is also referred to as the "**Storm and Stress** " period (because it is usually seen as a __[|turbulent period of time]__ ). You will feel physical, emotional and social changes and there is a way to cope with them.

There are 3 main ways to cope with these changes and they apply to both males and females.

They are:

__**1. Organisation**__

When you start going through puberty, it is the time when you have to look after your school, social and home life. It is helpful to be **organised** and have some sort of balance in your life. This is an important strategy because to enjoy your teen years, you have to be organised with whatever you do. There are lots of things going on around us both at school, sports and at home.

A good way of being organised is to set up a timetable of whatever you need or want to do. Make sure you also leave some time for exercise and a bit of fun. The downside of not being organised means always running late, and not being on time for such things as school work and this will lead to more stress.

__**2. Communication**__



Communication becomes a key issue as we get older. Adolescence is a time when we learn (sometimes slowly) that **communication** is a very important tool in our everyday lives. Keeping those channels open with parents can sometimes be very difficult because we believe that they might not understand what we are going through whether it be a bad day at school or a problem with a friend. This may mean being open and honest with your parents so that trust is established and both sides will feel less stressed.

There are other people around you besides family that you can open up to and talk about things. It is only when we share the load that we realize that this period of time in our lives is normal. Such people can be friends, teachers and relatives (uncles and aunts).

Having good friends to talk about the changes you might be experiencing and any worries or concerns is important. This is because they would be going through the same issues and you would realize that you are not alone. That what is happening is normal and realizing it is normal is also important.


 * __3. Respect__ **

An important aspect in your life is **respect** for yourself and for others. Treating your parents, teachers, other adults and friends with respect means that they will treat you in the same manner. Being disrespectful, rude, lazy and selfish does not make you a very likeable person. Relationships are better when respect is present.

Coping strategies are many but sometimes they can be hard to put into practice. To talk to someone can be difficult especially when you have to discuss feelings and emotions. Organisation, communication and respect are 3 broad coping strategies that can be used in varying ways according to individual needs. One of the things that often gets overlooked is looking after ourselves as teenagers. Having a positive image and attitude about ourselves means not being told how we should look or act (media influence).

Coping with physical changes can be challenging. All sorts of things are happening to our bodies at different rates and times. Boys get bigger and stronger and girls bigger but with curves. Boys that mature earlier tend to be more confident and secure than boys that mature later. Girls that develop earlier can tend to feel more self conscious because of the way their bodies are developing in advance. The important point here is that there are different rates of maturation and this is **NORMAL**. If we understand this then it is one less thing to worry about.

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