Youths feel overwhelmed often for totally different reasons than adults, but the stress affects them in unhealthy ways just the same.  For students, those stressors can show themselves as "fatigue, anxiety, depression, and poor academic performance"*.  It may be the youth who is distracted.  Who feel unconfident in themselves. Who avoids positive opportunities.  4-H recognizes that all of these contribute to preventing youth from being successful.

Green County 4-H organized intentional programs to engage youth in learning ways to manage stress effectively whether this is self-directed or being able to identify peers and adults with whom they can trust for guidance. 4-H provided school-based programming in cooperation with the Green County Intermediate School reaching 346 youth.  Youth learned the value of hobbies as a way to set aside time for activities they enjoy; the intentional distraction helps to recenter themselves.  Youth learned the value of the arts as a way to express themselves in often difficult situations.  Youth learned that planning for stressful moments in advance can provide a tool-kit of options for them to use during those extreme times.  Approved educational programs from the Kentucky 4-H Core Health and Arts Curriculum were used with these youth.  

64% of the youth created a homemade musical instrument from recycled items as a way to show expression and reflection on their mental state.  Performing a rudimentary song shortly after creating their instruments, the smiles on their faces showed that they had momentarily forgotten any of their struggles.  88% of the youth could identify a place that was conducive to relaxing and 71% reported that one-month post program they had visited their place of relaxation.  95% of the youth can identify a hobby they will seek out when they feel overwhelmed.  

*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9243415/#:~:text=Excessive%20stress%20can%20cause%20health,depression%2C%20and%20poor%20academic%20performance.