When you have kids, your main parental goal is to care for them and watch them succeed. You want them to be joyful, find happiness, and experience adventure.
If your teen is struggling with anxiety, you may find yourself in a position full of emotions. You may not know what they’re experiencing firsthand, nor have answers to their questions. Anxiety is reasonably common but can be difficult during the teen years. Whether it’s school, work, social means, or simply environmental factors, there are possible stressors and triggers from all angles.
With that said, how you address and guide them through their anxiety can be crucial to their outcomes.
1. Talk About It
Dismissing anxiety as an unimportant or minimalistic problem isn’t going to be helpful in the long run. Whatever they are experiencing that is triggering these feelings of anxiety, they need to find a way to process it. There isn’t a quick fix that makes this go away for them.
Open the door for communication about their anxiety. Create a safe space for having difficult conversations where there’s no judgment or criticism. During these discussions, make sure you’re listening more than you’re offering advice. When you start to ask too many questions or overpower their feelings with your opinions, it might cause them to shut down.
Hear what they have to say and ask thoughtful questions when appropriate. Provide reassurance that they will get through this and have your support no matter what.
2. Address Social Media Use
There’s no denying that the increase in anxiety among teens has some link to the increased amount of screen time and social media use. Every teen’s experience and the content they interact with is different, but the round-the-clock access to information can lend itself to a certain amount of stress.
The false reality often depicted through what people post can contribute to inaccurate comparisons, fear of missing out, intense pressure to be perfect, and reduced self-worth when they don’t have high engagement. Additionally, bullying is even more easily done from behind a keyboard.
Encourage healthy internet and social media practices. Find a way to help them balance the online world with the real world. Promote real social interactions and activities and teach them how to use social media in a healthy way.
3. Encourage Healthy Habits
When it comes to managing anxiety, many teens are not fully aware of what’s going on, let alone equipped to deal with their problems. As their parent, you can help teach them healthy ways to cope with their feelings.
Teach them the importance of controlling breathing, especially during anxiety attacks. Because breathing becomes shallow during an attack, guide them in breathwork practices and when to use them. Encourage them to keep a journal or use meditation exercises to help process their thoughts.
4. Encourage Good Physical Health
While you may think teens are getting a good amount of activity, they might not get the right physical activity for their needs. Exercise helps with the release of serotonin and endorphins, which can help control anxiety.
If your teen is struggling with anxiety, help them get into a good fitness routine if they don’t yet have one. Short walks when symptoms are bad or incorporating a yoga routine can help ward off negative feelings.
5. Ensure Proper Nutrition
What’s going on in your gut can impact what’s going on in your brain. Many teens consume a larger amount of processed foods, sugars, and fast foods than is recommended.
Their mood and behavior can suffer if they’re not getting enough nutritional content. Help establish a good meal routine and encourage healthy options. You’ll want to avoid any specific diet but promote whole and raw foods that offer vitamins and nutrients.
If you’re struggling to help your teen navigate their anxiety, contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help or check out our counseling for teens page.