How Mindfulness can Reduce your Teen’s Stress

Is your teen feeling overwhelmed? Are the demands of schoolwork, social activities, and extracurriculars stressing out your son or daughter? Are you looking for some much-needed relief?

It’s normal for teens to feel stressed from time to time. They have many priorities to manage and they are still learning how to handle it all. All of these responsibilities can take their toll on your teen’s mental health and overall well-being. When teens get stuck in overwhelming feelings of anxiety, mindfulness skills can help bring them into the present moment. Mindfulness practice is a simple, natural, and effective way to feel calmer and maintain control of their emotions. Here’s how it works…

Mindfulness is all about awareness without judgment. The goal is to be aware of your emotions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to maintain increased control of your emotions. When you are able to recognize how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing, you can cope with emotions proactively. You can be aware that you are feeling stressed, or sad, or angry, and deal with those feelings before they become too intense to manage.

Start by observing, describing, and participating. Observe your environment and what is around you. What thoughts, feelings, and sensations are you experiencing? Simply notice without having any reaction. Next, describe your experience by writing it down or saying it out loud. Describe the facts of what’s going on without attaching any labels or judgments. Use your five senses to improve your awareness. Then, practice throwing yourself into each and every experience. Stay present in the moment without letting judging thoughts stick in your mind. Let go of any negative or self-critical thoughts.

Here’s an example of mindfulness in action. Let’s say that a student is sitting at his desk, waiting to give a big presentation in front of the class. He notices that his legs are tightly crossed, that he’s tapping his hand on the desk, and that his shoulders are pulled up to his neck. He looks around the classroom and notes that other students appear to be nervous too based on their body posture, while others seem to be half asleep or staring off into space. While he can’t say these observations out loud, he describes them in his head and jots them down in on a sheet of looseleaf paper. He recognizes that he is anxious, and he practices some deep breathing to cope with the feeling before it becomes overwhelming. He uses this coping strategy to release the tension in his body before it’s his turn to present. He throws himself fully into the moment, reminding himself that he’s given presentations before and he can do it again. He will get through this moment. He goes up to present his topic without feeling as nervous as he was a few minutes prior.

Stress is a part of life. While we can’t help our children get rid of stress entirely, we can teach them skills to manage stress effectively. Mindfulness is a great technique to help your son or daughter cope with anxious feelings, so that they don’t feel overwhelmed all of the time. It can be applied to a variety of situations—everything from stressful academic settings, to challenging life transitions, to complicated social interactions. Mindfulness helps teens feel calmer and more composed, so that they can deal with life’s obstacles successfully.