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Childhood emotional wellbeing

Stress and anxiety

Everyone feels stress, anxiety, or fear at times. These feelings happen when we face difficult situations. Sometimes, the challenge is real, like a sports match or an exam. Other times, we worry about things that might happen in the future. Learning to manage stress and anxiety helps young people cope with life’s challenges.

Physical symptoms

Everyone experiences stress and anxiety differently, but common signs include:

  • a racing heart
  • faster breathing
  • feeling tense or having aches, especially in the neck, shoulders, and back
  • sweating or feeling dizzy
  • shaking
  • “butterflies” or feeling sick in the stomach

Talk to someone you trust if your worries are making you:

  • feel anxious most of the time
  • struggle to control your worries
  • find it hard to relax
  • avoid places or people, like school or parties
  • spend less time with family and friends
  • have trouble concentrating
  • feel annoyed, irritated, or restless
  • struggle to fall asleep or wake up often during the night

Ways to beat stress and anxiety

Where to get support

Stress

Exam stress

Tests and exams can be stressful for children, young people, and their parents or carers. This is often because we cannot fully control the outcome, and we may worry about not achieving our goals.

A bit of stress can be helpful, but it is important to keep it under control. Most people feel pressure and anxiety around exams, and everyone copes in different ways. High stress levels can cause:

  • trouble concentrating or remembering things
  • problems with sleep
  • feeling irritable or annoyed
  • feeling unwell or catching colds more easily
  • increased anxiety or low mood

Ways to help with exam stress:

  • talk to someone about schoolwork, support from a parent, tutor, or study buddy can help
  • eat a balanced diet to stay healthy and feel well
  • get enough sleep to improve thinking and concentration
  • be flexible around exam time
  • make sure your child has a quiet, comfortable place to study
  • find people who can help with revision
  • exercise to boost energy and reduce stress
  • talk about exam nerves, it is okay to feel this way

If your child’s anxiety or low mood is severe, lasts a long time, or affects daily life, speak to your GP for support.

For more information, please see exam stress (opens in new window).

Feelings

Anger

Anger is not good or bad, it is just a feeling, like happiness or sadness. Everyone feels angry sometimes, often for good reasons.

Anger can affect your body. Your heart beats faster, your muscles tense up, and you might feel sick or lightheaded. Sometimes, you may feel angry without knowing why. It is important to manage anger so it does not lead to bigger problems.

Anger may be a problem if you:

  • hit or hurt others
  • shout at people
  • break things
  • lose control
  • wind people up
  • spend time with people who get you into trouble

For more information on anger, please see YoungMinds anger (opens in new window).

Body image

There can be a lot of pressure to look a certain way and fit in. Sometimes, what others say or think can hurt.

You might feel unhappy about your hair, skin, weight, or feel embarrassed about wearing glasses or braces. It can be hard to accept how you look when there is pressure to have perfect skin or a certain body shape.

Try not to compare yourself to people in films, music videos, or magazines, these images are not real, and no one is perfect. Feeling good about how you look can help build confidence. It is normal to worry sometimes, especially as you grow and go through puberty.

5 things to help you feel better

  • Everyone is different, so try not to compare yourself to others.
  • Ignore negative or unkind comments.
  • Write down three things you like about yourself and read them every morning.
  • Talk to other young people on our message boards and see what they say.
  • Focus on hobbies or things you enjoy, this can help build confidence.

For more information on how to help you feel good about yourself, please see health for teens body image (opens in new window).

Bullying

Bullying can happen anywhere, online, at home, or at school, and it can happen to anyone. But nobody has the right to hurt you or make you feel bad.

Bullying can also be part of other types of abuse, including neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

Bullying can include:

  • being called names
  • being teased, put down, or humiliated
  • being pushed or pulled about
  • having money or belongings taken
  • having rumours spread about you
  • being ignored or left out
  • being hit, kicked, or physically hurt
  • being threatened or intimidated
  • being bullied online or through your phone

Anyone can be a bully, friends, family, people at school, or strangers, but bullying is never okay. It can happen in different places, but there are ways to stop it and get support.

For more support on dealing with bullying, please see Childline bullying (opens in new window).

Self harm

Self-harm is a way some people express distress by hurting themselves, often in private. This can include:

  • cutting, stabbing, or self-injury
  • overdosing or poisoning
  • risky behaviours like smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs

People self-harm for different reasons. It can be a way to cope with pain, release anger, feel in control, or escape difficult memories. There is no single reason why people do it.

Self-harm carries risks, so it is important to know how to reduce harm:

  • control bleeding and prevent infection
  • use clean equipment and cover wounds with a clean dressing
  • get medical help if needed

If you or someone you know is struggling, talking to a trusted person or seeking support can help.

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Page last reviewed: March 11, 2025
Next review due: March 11, 2026

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