When it comes to stress, it can feel like when it rains, it pours. For teens, the stress can come from all aspects of life. They have to focus on their studies, make time for their family, maintain healthy friendships, find hobbies that bring them joy and start planning for their future. They have to do all of that while still trying to figure out who they are as a person to establish a strong sense of self. It can become overwhelming, leading to anxiety that can interfere with their ability to properly manage the very things causing them stress. 

Stress is typically a response to an external cause that fades once the situation is over. Anxiety can persist without an external threat and can interfere significantly with daily functioning.

Stress and anxiety can seem like they come with the territory in the day-to-day lives of many teenagers. And while the causes of anxiety can seem unavoidable at times, the right strategies can alleviate the negative impact that it can have on their overall quality of life. It’s important that teens learn to take control of their stressors to reduce their resulting anxiety.

We’ll talk about how teens can learn to handle day-to-day stress and anxiety. Then we’ll talk about how Lightfully Teen can help if they require more intensive support for anxiety or anxiety disorders.

How teens can deal with everyday stress and anxiety

Stress is something that every age has to deal with. However, if teenagers can learn how to manage their stress and anxiety during adolescence, they can carry those skills on to help them in adulthood. 

Here are a few ways that teens can learn to better deal with stress and anxiety in their day-to-day life:

• Practice self-compassion — When teens feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety, they may blame themselves or focus on their shortcomings. It’s important that they are kind to themselves, which is where self-compassion comes in. Self-compassion can look different for everyone, but using positive self-talk is always a good start. They can tell themselves things like, “I know I’m doing my best,” and “It’s OK if I’m not perfect because perfect doesn’t exist.”
• Prioritize organization — Disorganization can contribute to a teen’s everyday stress in several ways. It can make it difficult to stay on top of school deadlines, remember social events and complete chores. Teens can improve their organizational skills with strategies like planning out their day with to-do lists, scheduling study breaks and prioritizing tasks. Organization can help them develop habits that can help them in their professional endeavors. Also, structured routines can provide a sense of control and predictability, which are important for reducing anxiety.
• Decompress each night — Many teens are often “go-go-go” from the second they wake up until they go to sleep at night. But it’s important that they have time to let their mind and body relax after a long day. That way, they can work at full force the next day. “Decompressing” every night means doing something that quiets down the anxiety that has been living in their brain all day. This often refers to calming activities, such as listening to music or putting on a comfort show.

• Take care of their physical health — Prioritizing daily nutrition, sleep and exercise can help reduce the anxiety of day-to-day stress. Having a well-balanced diet, getting seven hours of sleep every night and completing at least 30 minutes of exercise are all small daily priorities that can have lasting positive effects on a teen’s mental health. These all play a role in boosting positive emotions and having the energy needed to tackle responsibilities.

What to do when your teen is having trouble handling day-to-day stress and anxiety

While it’s possible for many teens to be able to handle everyday stress, others may have trouble managing overwhelming stress and the anxiety that can result from it. They may develop generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which is a diagnosis characterized by all-encompassing worry, even without a discernible cause. It can make them feel an impending sense of doom and concern about the future. It can also cause heightened irritability, restlessness and trouble concentrating. A person may be diagnosed with GAD if they experience excessive worry occurring more days than not for at least six months, and if their symptoms disrupt daily activities.

If your teen is having a difficult time handling their stress and anxiety, talk to their doctor about a potential generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis. They will also likely recommend mental health care from a therapist. A psychotherapist can help them identify the root causes of their anxiety and learn skills that can help, such as coping mechanisms, stress management and mindfulness.

If your teen needs further intensive support for their anxiety and stress, our three Lightfully Teen levels of care can help: Residential Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Program and Intensive Outpatient Program.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step to help your teen manage their stress, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of them.