Every kid (and adult) worries and feels stressed out sometimes. But what do kids do about it? We wanted to find out, so we asked 875 kids ages 9 to 13 to answer some questions about stress.

First, we let kids choose from a long list of stuff that might worry them. The top five things kids said they worried about were:

1. Grades, school, and homework — 36%
2. Family — 32%
3. Friends — 21%
4. Brothers and sisters — 20%
5. Mean or annoying people — 20%

Then we asked kids what they do during those times when they feel stressed or upset. Here are the top things kids said they do most often. (Kids who answered could say more than one thing, so these add up to more than 100%.)

• Playing or doing something active — 52%
• Listening to music — 44%
• Watching TV or playing a video game — 42%

That's good news. Playing, listening to music, watching TV, or playing a video game are often good things to do if you're stressed out. You get a chance to think about something else. Being active — like running around, playing a sport, or riding your bike — may be the best choice of all of these. Why? It's a good way to let out some of that energy that builds up when a person is frustrated, stressed, or upset. Plus, releases chemicals in your brain that help improve your mood.

What Else Do Kids Do?

Here are some other ways kids said they often deal with feeling upset:

Talk to a friend. Right on! Friends can be good listeners and might know just what to say to make you laugh or feel a little better than you did before. Sometimes you might want to talk to a parent or another grown-up, too.

Try not to think about it. If it's just a little thing that got you stressed, this can work fine. Sometimes it's best not to let a little thing bother you. But if it's a bigger problem, not thinking about it is probably not the best choice. It can be OK to take a break from worrying or stressing out about something, but pretending like it's not a problem isn't a good idea. Why? Because nothing changes and the problem might stick around — or get worse.

Try to work things out. A great idea! What could be better than trying to solve the problem? Even if you can't solve the whole thing, with help, maybe you can start solving some part of it.

Eat something. Not such a good idea. Food's fine when you're truly hungry. But if you use food to help you feel better, you might eat more calories than you need and gain weight. It also doesn't solve whatever problem upset you in the first place.

Lose my temper. Oh, dear. It's OK to feel angry, but losing your temper and yelling and screaming is never a good idea. It also doesn't help solve your problem — and can make matters worse.

Feel bad about myself. Oh, dear — again. Everyone has troubles and problems — that's perfectly normal — but sometimes kids blame themselves for the troubles they have. They might feel guilty, embarrassed, or ashamed if they've done something they know is wrong, or if they didn't do well. But don't let yourself get stuck in the mud of bad feelings. After all, you're still learning, like everyone else. By working through troubles, often with help from others, you can find your inner strength. When this happens, you'll feel better about yourself and will be more optimistic the next time you have a problem. Try to forgive yourself for whatever went wrong. Then try to fix the problem or do better next time. Ask for help with this part if you need to.