Keep calm and carry a yoga mat with you

For adults, the holiday season offers plenty of reasons to feel stressed out. For young people, that holiday season anxiety is compounded by the end of the school term, bringing with it final exams and projects.

The Mountainside addiction treatment center in North Canaan, with the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau in Falls Village and the and the Northwest Corner Prevention Network, created a list of tips to help teens stay on an even  keel. In particular, the tips are designed to help young people avoid the temptation to self medicate as a way to cope.

‘Study’ drugs

It can be tempting at this time of year to experiment with so-called “study” drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall without a prescription. Don’t do it, the experts advise. On top of being illegal, these drugs are also highly addictive.

“You can study just as effectively without using stimulants, if you address the root cause of the problem: stress,” the tip sheet advises. 

The sheet also warns that, “Not only can non-prescribed study drugs be habit forming, they can produce jitters, headaches, stomach problems, or even eventually lead to psychosis, a mental disorder that includes the loss of contact with reality.”

Find ways to self-soothe

“Stressing out or feeling overwhelmed can cause you to lose focus and have memory problems,” according to the tip sheet.

Find ways to reduce anxiety levels that don’t include medication.

•  “Music is proven to improve focus and alleviate stress.”

Most students know what music gives them comfort.

Make a few mixes that can give you what you need, whether it’s upbeat, mood-lifting tunes or something more calm and soothing.

• “Adult coloring books have become all the rage recently — and with good reason,” according to Mountainside. 

Coloring seems to calm the brain’s “flight or fight” and to  stimulate “other areas of the brain that help people think more clearly.”

Keep a coloring book nearby or do some doodles on a sheet. Drawing can also help loosen up the muscles in your hands and it can give your eyes a rest. Try doing it at regular intervals as a break while studying textbooks or working on essays.

• “Meditation clears away information overload, improving overall cognitive abilities, increasing concentration and expanding memorization skills,”according to the tip sheet. 

There are many sources on the Internet that have advice on how to meditate. It’s a simple process that involves breathing deeply and clearing your mind. 

• In some ways yoga is the physical version of the more mental meditation. Yoga stretches and poses can be practiced in a small space at the library or in a dorm room. Get some friends to join you for a healthy social break. 

Yoga not only stretches out your limbs, it also encourages the deep, regular breathing that is a key to stress reduction.

“Yoga benefits you by calming your mind and aiding with any bouts of insomnia you may be experiencing,” according to the tip sheet. “Practicing mindfulness through yoga also results in higher serotonin levels — the happiness hormone.”