One of the critical beauty secrets for teens to both looking feeling great is reducing stress in our lives. When we feel burdened, we look burdened. It zaps the beauty right out of us! Think about the days where you have piles of homework, your fighting with your friends, and you have dress rehearsal until 9 PM. You feel overwhelmed, burdened, and very stressed! Feel like a trip to the tropics right about now? Immediately begin to lessen your stress and look more beautiful by following these seven easy steps!

1) Carve out Time for yourself:

When we get busy and overwhelmed, often the first thing to get moved out of our schedule is that precious time for ourselves. Take 30 seconds to write down 10 things that make you happy. Now, look at your list and see if you can add at least 3 of these to your week. You may even need to schedule them ahead of time. It can be as simple as jogging, playing with your pets, shopping, talking to your friends, or taking a hot bath.

It’s important to carve out a little time each day whether its one minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour. How much time can you afford? If it’s only one minute, put your feet up, take your shoes off, and take a few deep breaths. The important thing is that you are making time for activities that bring a smile. And, the more we smile, the more beautiful we look and feel!

2) Practice Relaxation Strategies:

There are several relaxation strategies proven to immediately bring relief. Have you tried deep breathing? Often times, we really aren’t breathing correctly. Try sitting down comfortably, close your eyes, and take a nice slow deep breath in. Now, hold that for a few seconds, and slowly exhale. Repeat this a few times and you will begin to feel relief. Others have found comfort in simple stretches during the work day. This can simply be rolling your shoulders, neck, or stretching out your legs. Last, some people prefer using yoga or meditation to relax.

3) Learn how to prioritize:

Sometimes by sticking with a short list of priorities it can help eliminate unnecessary stress. In the evening or first thing in the morning, write down the 3 most important things to accomplish today. If a new assignment or distraction tries to take you off course, finish the priority first, or make sure you have a scheduled time to complete it later.

4) Learn to say no:

Your friends and family members might try to seek you out to help them because you’re such a nice person. However, when you are never able to say no, your own priorities get pushed aside and often stress begins to build. Learning how to say no can be a difficult task for all of us. One way to improve this skill is to wait before giving an answer. Ask for time to think about your response and let your friend know when you will get back to them. If you decide that saying no is the right thing to do and you’re still feeling nervous, practice what you’re going to say out loud with yourself or another friend.

5) Exercise:

It’s not new news that exercise can help reduce our stress levels. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins (natural painkillers) and more oxygen to the brain. But, it is often difficult for most of us to make the time for exercise when we are already feeling the burdens and pressures of stress in our life. Look at your schedule and see where you can fit in a minimum of 3 exercise sessions a week. Try to go above and beyond your P.E. class at school. You’ll feel better and look more beautiful too!

6) Use Humor

When was the last time laughed? Are you able to laugh at yourself? Making sure you laugh each day can bring a tremendous sense of relief and lessen anxiety. If you’re needing a little more humor, trying seeing a funny movie or talking with a friend that makes you laugh.

7) Be Proactive

Do you recognize your warning signs for feeling too stressed? What are your warning signs? A tight neck, irritability, fatigue, upset stomach? Next time you notice one of these signs, immediately try to implement a stress reducer. Using one of the seven tips we’ve already reviewed will help you handle your stress before your stress handles you! More importantly, it’s one of the hidden beauty secrets that teens forget about.