Teenagers often experience a great number of stressors on a regular basis that can lead to  irritability, anxiety, or even depression. The stress that they experience can eventually take a  toll on their bodies, leading to physical complaints such as stomach aches, headaches, or an  overall sense of not feeling well. Stress can also lead to behavior changes such as poor  eating or sleeping habits. Cognitive changes can occur as well, which may include difficulty  focusing and forgetfulness. 

There are several factors that can often lead teenagers to feel moderate to high levels of  stress and anxiety on a regular basis. These include: 

• Academics- Teens often feel pressure to perform at a certain level to please their parents or  teachers or to get in to certain colleges. 

• Social Stress- Teens can often feel tremendous pressure to fit in to certain social groups.  They can experience varying levels of bullying or rejection from their peers. . Further, teens  often experience high amounts of peer pressure that can lead them to make unhealthy  decisions in order to fit in. While social media can allow teens to feel connected to their  peers, it can also exacerbate many of these issues. 

• Life Changes- Significant life changes such as moving, changing schools, parental  separation or divorce, can all lead to anxiety and higher levels of stress.  • Traumatic events- Loss of a loved one, major illness or accidents, physical or emotional  abuse are often very distressing events, making it very difficult to cope.  • World Events- Teens may worry about events that take place near them, in our country and  around the world, such as wars and acts of terrorism, natural disasters, school shootings,  and other acts of violence. 

Charlotte Therapist offers strategies to help teenagers calm feelings of anxiety and  worry. 

Identify Emotions, Urges and Thoughts 

Our emotions, thoughts and behaviors are all connected and heavily influence one another.  For this reason, it can be very helpful to identify them. 

• Name the emotion or emotions that you are currently feeling. Rate the intensity of the  emotion where 0 is no emotion at all and 10 is feeling the emotion strongly. Sit down and  pay attention to the physical sensations that come with this emotion. Do you feel tense or  relaxed? What are the sensations in your head, neck, shoulders, back, belly, legs or  anywhere else? After mindfully noticing and observing these sensations for a few minutes,  write down where you feel the sensations in your body. 

• Next, notice any urges that you feel. These include anything that you feel like doing at the  moment. These are called action urges, which often come along with emotions because the  point of emotions are to get you to do something. Do you feel like yelling at someone or  hitting something? Do you feel like running away or avoiding something? Do you feel like  hiding away and doing nothing? 

• Finally, notice any thoughts that are circling your mind. What are you telling yourself? Are  there any particular images that you can identify? An example is, “Why did this have to  happen to me? I can’t stand this! Once you have identified your thoughts, write them down. 

Noticing and Labeling Your Experience in the Moment  

Worry and anxiety are always focused on the future, therefore, they take us out of the present  moment. When this occurs, we are not living in the present moment. It can very helpful to  practice living in the present moment by noticing and labeling your experience. 

Ask yourself these questions to help you get in touch with everything that you are experiencing  in the present moment. 

Present External Environment: 

• What do I see right now? 

• What objects do I observe? 

• If there are people around, what do they look like? What are they doing?  • What do I feel against my skin? 

• What I am hearing right now? 

• Are the sounds nearby or far away? 

Present Internal Environment: 

• How do I feel right now? 

• What emotions am I having? 

• How does my body feel? 

• Are my muscles relaxed or tense? 

Practice Self-Care to Reduce Your Vulnerability to Stress and Anxiety 

• Maintain balanced eating- It is important to maintain healthy eating habits. Eat regularly  throughout the day to keep blood glucose levels stable. Eat healthy, whole foods as much  as possible, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and proteins and limit processed  foods. 

• Maintain balanced sleep- Sleep fuels the body and helps it to have energy throughout the  day. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body will become depleted and you will have  fewer resources throughout the day to manage stress. 

• Get regular exercise- be active for thirty minutes or more at least five days per week. This  could be any form of activity such as running, walking, lifting weights, riding your bike,  cleaning your house, or gardening. 

• Avoid alcohol and drugs. Both of these can take a toll on your body and can tax your  emotional resources. 

At Bareiter Counseling Center, I work with individuals, ages twelve and older, and families. I  work extensively with those struggling with anxiety. To learn more about how I can help you or  your teenager, please contact us.

By Melissa Fabeny