RECOGNIZING AND ADDRESSING ANXIETY IN TEENS KAREN KLEMM-CASHION, M.ED., NBCT KRISTEN LITCHFIELD, MA, LPC, NBCT

RECOGNIZING ANXIETY

WHAT CAUSES STRESS IN TEENS?

THE TOP TEN School Family / Parents Friends Work Sports Homework Lack of Sleep & Love Life College Appearance, Extracurricular, Grades, Relationships, & Tasks Lack of Time

7 WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR TEENS MANAGE STRESS By: Lynn Merk, PhD

1. HELP YOUR TEEN TO DETERMINE WHAT’S WITHIN THEIR CONTROL AND WHAT ISN’T. Too many extracurricular activities can be overwhelming Help your teen identify which activities are helpful and which could be detrimental. Make room for necessary free time.

2. SUGGEST WAYS TO GET THE BASICS BACK IN PLACE. Teens who have been stressed for a long period have likely developed poor lifestyle habits along the way. Help your teen get back to a consistent bedtime routine, and maintain the same sleep routine (for the most part) on weekends as well as weekdays Avoid screen time at least an hour before bed. Eat regular healthy meals. Exercise regularly but not too close to bed time.

3. BRAINSTORM STRESS-RELIEVING ACTIVITIES. Help your teen find ways to incorporate stress relieving activities into their day, week and month. Simple brief activities like backyard basketball, painting, playing an instrument provide a distraction for the brain and relieve stress.

4. HELP YOUR TEEN FIND TIME FOR RELAXATION, ESPECIALLY DURING STRESSFUL MOMENTS. Relaxation looks different for everyone. Encourage your teen to find something that quiets their mind. Taking a walk, petting the dog, sitting in silence, taking deep breaths, prayer are some examples. It’s not easy for teens to be silent, but encourage them to find something that sticks and it will serve them well later in life.

5. SET LIMITS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. Teens need breaks from social media. Peer pressure follows them on electronic devices. Messaging, texting and tagging occur day and night. Some teens feel obligated to respond immediately for fear that friends will be mad at them. ESTABLISH “SOCIAL MEDIA FREE” HOURS. (setting this expectation up front with friends will take the pressure to respond off of your teen) Tune out social media before bedtime.

6. TEACH YOUR TEEN TO PRACTICE “CALM SELF-TALK”. Help your teen become aware of their stressful thoughts and to practice rationalizing them. If they are running late for an activity have them ask themselves “what will happen if I arrive a few minutes late?”

7. BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR TEEN. Teens are still learning from their parents. If your teen is with you and you’re feeling stressed, talk about it out loud. “I’m feeling really stressed right now. I’m going to take a few deep breaths and then problem-solve.”

GROUNDING FOR ANXIETY