Anxiety in Teens
In today’s culture, teens are under extended periods of stress with few breaks. The answer is balance. The right amount of stress is motivating and stimulating. Too much is paralyzing, like a teen who can’t do their homework because they’re overwhelmed.
Too much stress turns into anxiety. This means a teen’s nervous system is on overdrive and they can’t relax or turn off their thoughts. This overstimulation can lead to drug and alcohol use, cutting and sleep deprivation. But there are many tools to prevent this.
Like adults, teens need a healthy balance of activity and relaxation. Part of the activity should include exercise or being in nature, both great stress relievers, and part of the relaxation should include time away from screens, especially cell phones. Teens need to unplug from what their friends are doing and what they think of them, which is a great source of anxiety. Also, screens are overstimulating, mentally draining and addictive. Most teens need their parent’s help to regulate their use.
Most teens need to slow down and get perspective to reduce their anxiety. Our culture is driven by achievement, appearance, and competition, which is inherently stressful to teens and adults. It’s easy to lose one’s self in external expectations. Again, everything in balance. Connection and creativity reduce anxiety and support a teen to feel accepted and included.
Support and connection are crucial. It’s important that your teen doesn’t feel alone in dealing with their anxiety. When someone can’t stop worrying and doesn’t know how to calm themselves, the acceptance of a loved one can melt the tension, especially if your teen is worried about being accepted at school.
Find out if your teen’s stress is situational or chronic. Chronic anxiety could require counseling. They may need professional help processing their thoughts and feelings or may need a psychiatrist to evaluate them for medication. Whatever the need, there are many effective strategies for coping with anxiety.
Too much stress turns into anxiety. This means a teen’s nervous system is on overdrive and they can’t relax or turn off their thoughts. This overstimulation can lead to drug and alcohol use, cutting and sleep deprivation. But there are many tools to prevent this.
Like adults, teens need a healthy balance of activity and relaxation. Part of the activity should include exercise or being in nature, both great stress relievers, and part of the relaxation should include time away from screens, especially cell phones. Teens need to unplug from what their friends are doing and what they think of them, which is a great source of anxiety. Also, screens are overstimulating, mentally draining and addictive. Most teens need their parent’s help to regulate their use.
Most teens need to slow down and get perspective to reduce their anxiety. Our culture is driven by achievement, appearance, and competition, which is inherently stressful to teens and adults. It’s easy to lose one’s self in external expectations. Again, everything in balance. Connection and creativity reduce anxiety and support a teen to feel accepted and included.
Support and connection are crucial. It’s important that your teen doesn’t feel alone in dealing with their anxiety. When someone can’t stop worrying and doesn’t know how to calm themselves, the acceptance of a loved one can melt the tension, especially if your teen is worried about being accepted at school.
Find out if your teen’s stress is situational or chronic. Chronic anxiety could require counseling. They may need professional help processing their thoughts and feelings or may need a psychiatrist to evaluate them for medication. Whatever the need, there are many effective strategies for coping with anxiety.
Call for a free consultation: (415) 360-5445
Teen Solutions Therapy
Marin County
Teen Solutions Therapy
Marin County
Tools We Use to Reduce Anxiety
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is used to relieve the stress symptoms of trauma and reduces the impact of negative experiences.
EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping is used to reduce difficult emotions by stimulating certain energy points on the face and upper body.
Meditation – This has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and alter brain chemistry. If your teen is mindful during periods of typical reactivity (a fight with a parent), they can choose to respond differently instead of escalating or avoiding.
Breathing Exercises – The most powerful and available tool for reducing stress and anxiety is deep breathing. It also relaxes the nervous system to facilitate sleep which many teens need. We practice different types of breathing in the session since many people avoid practicing on their own.
Visualization – This is imagining a positive outcome in anxiety-producing situations. For example, your teen is worried about an important exam. We walk them through it mentally with deep breathing so they anticipate a positive outcome. They discover they have power over their thoughts and feelings.
Focusing – This is getting in touch with physical sensations that are linked to emotions. A teen becomes aware of how they feel so emotions aren’t driving them. It can reduce common physical stress responses like stomach aches and headaches and creates an overall sense of well-being.
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is used to relieve the stress symptoms of trauma and reduces the impact of negative experiences.
EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping is used to reduce difficult emotions by stimulating certain energy points on the face and upper body.
Meditation – This has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and alter brain chemistry. If your teen is mindful during periods of typical reactivity (a fight with a parent), they can choose to respond differently instead of escalating or avoiding.
Breathing Exercises – The most powerful and available tool for reducing stress and anxiety is deep breathing. It also relaxes the nervous system to facilitate sleep which many teens need. We practice different types of breathing in the session since many people avoid practicing on their own.
Visualization – This is imagining a positive outcome in anxiety-producing situations. For example, your teen is worried about an important exam. We walk them through it mentally with deep breathing so they anticipate a positive outcome. They discover they have power over their thoughts and feelings.
Focusing – This is getting in touch with physical sensations that are linked to emotions. A teen becomes aware of how they feel so emotions aren’t driving them. It can reduce common physical stress responses like stomach aches and headaches and creates an overall sense of well-being.
