Okay, having a tool box doesn’t mean that you have a chest full of answers for all your exams. Rather, it means that you have the tools to not only manage your life, but you have to thrive and succeed! The following are a list of coping mechanisms and techniques to live your life happily and successfully!

Manage Your Time – There are many different ways you can learn to manage your time in order to complete your day to day tasks. You can use planners, wall calendars, or notebooks to write down the events and responsibilities you need to complete. Although some time management tools are better than others, the important point for now is to have a time management system. This skill will come in handy later. Even after college, having a busy career will demand the ability to manage time well.

Manage Your Stress – We all experience stress differently, and the ways we manage stress will also vary from person to person. There are a variety of ways you can respond to stress when you feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, confused, or tired. For example, you can remove yourself from the stress, if that’s an option. You can manage the way you feel about the stressful experience, such as doing yoga, practicing meditation, or going for long walks. You can also ignore the stress, if that’s also appropriate, such as a health concern that you know you’re already taking care of. Exercise is also essential for managing stress. Lastly, remember to breathe when the going gets tough. Breathing consciously can bring relaxation to the body, heart, and mind.

Be Emotionally Aware – Believe it or not, you won’t be able to manage your emotions unless you know how to manage stress. The two are inherently related. Because emotions are unpredictable, they can come on strongly at times and create a stressful experience. Learning how to manage emotions, similar to the ability to manage stress, depends first on your level of emotional awareness. By developing a relationship with your emotions, that is, become more aware of them, you can better understand what you are feeling and how to respond to them. Often, not knowing how to respond to anger or disappointment or grief can lead to trouble. In fact, not coping with them in a healthy way, such as with talking about them versus using drugs, can lead to dangerous situations. Emotional awareness is the skill of knowing what you are feeling, why you’re feeling it, and what physical sensations you are having as a result. This is a skill that can be cultivated over time, which allows you to identify and express what you are feeling moment by moment. It’s is also the ability to understand the relationship between what you are feeling and how you choose to behave.

Follow Your Gut – If you’re in a situation in which you’re feeling uncomfortable, then perhaps it’s a good idea to leave. If your intuition is telling you to avoid certain friends at school, perhaps it’s a good idea for your own safety. If you’re gut is saying that it’s better not to go out tonight, even though your friends are planning a fun night, it could be better to stay home. Your intuition and your gut feelings have value!  Listen to them.

Take Care of Your Body – Taking care of your body means giving it what it needs to stay healthy. These are sleep, healthy food, plenty of water, and exercise.  Sleep is food for the brain, and children and teens need about 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, exercise is an essential ingredient to healthy living. It can stimulate positive moods, feed the body with energy, and keep both the mind and the body healthy.

Teens, if you’re able to follow these tasks and weave it into your daily routine, your life will feel and look healthy! This live-well, live-happy model can be the foundation for building a fulfilling  life, both inside and out.