How to Help Your Teen Navigate Anxiety

It can be difficult to see your teenager struggling with anxiety. As a parent, the last thing you want is to see your child deal with something damaging to their mental health at any age. 

But you don’t have to sit in silence as they deal with fear and worry. There are things you can do to help them better understand their emotions. Beyond that, you can help them find healthy ways to cope. 

By encouraging your teen to focus on their mental well-being now, they’ll be more likely to prioritize it as adults. So, what can you do to help? 

Recognize the Signs

Before you can help your teenager deal with anxiety, it’s important to recognize some of the common signs. It might be easy to “brush off” any mental health issues your teen is dealing with. You might think it’s just normal angst or even wonder what someone that age could possibly be anxious about.

But, anxiety at this age is very real and can have lasting effects if not taken care of. Some of the common signs of anxiety in teens include: 

• Difficulty sleeping

• Changes in eating habits

• Withdrawal from friends and hobbies

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Difficulty concentrating

Pay attention to their behaviors and any changes they might be displaying. You know your child better than anyone, and when you start focusing on those changes, it won’t take long for you to see if something is truly wrong. That’s when you can start to take action. 

Encourage Communication

Teenagers aren’t always known for wanting to open up and talk. You shouldn’t force conversations, but make sure your teen knows you’re available and that you want to support them, no matter what. 

Let them know you’ve noticed that they haven’t been acting like themselves lately, and you just want to make sure everything is okay. Sometimes, all it takes is opening that door to get them to start talking about what’s going on. 

Communication can go a long way in reducing anxiety. When your teen starts opening up about it and sees that they have you to lean on, they’ll be more likely to keep up the conversation and bring up their worries more frequently.

As a parent, it’s your job to help them “feel their feelings” and validate their emotions. Don’t brush them off or suggest that what they’re going through is a big deal. Instead, let them know they are heard and valued and that you’re going to work through things together. 

Find Healthy Coping Mechanisms

There are plenty of ways people can fight back against anxiety symptoms on a daily basis. Encourage your teen to practice self-care, starting with getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and staying physically active. These simple acts can go a long way in improving their overall mental health and giving them more control over their thoughts. 

Other things like mindfulness, meditation, and journaling can really help when they aren’t sure where to go with their anxious thoughts. By encouraging them to insert these practices into their daily routine, you can help them grab anxiety by the horns and feel more in control again.

Additionally, participating in art therapy with a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist is an effective way to learn steps to help with calming the mind, enhancing mood and increasing one’s self esteem.

Reach Out for Help

Anxiety is often manageable, but it’s difficult to control on your own. That can be especially problematic for a teenager who might not fully understand what they’re going through. 

If you’re concerned about your teenager’s mental well-being, consider setting up an appointment for them with a therapist. Anxiety Therapy or parent counseling are great ways for them to understand where their anxiety stems from and what they can do to manage their symptoms and fight back.