Easy Coping Skills For Teens With Anxiety

If your teen has anxiety, there are some lifestyle changes that you can recommend that might help. If they don’t help or if the anxiety is affecting your child’s daily life, it’s time to see a mental health specialist. Start with your pediatrician or family doctor, who can run some tests; sometimes vitamin deficiencies or hormonal imbalances can cause symptoms that mimic anxiety. If nothing physical is found, then your teen will be referred to a mental health provider.

In the meantime, try some of these tips:

• Encourage your teen to get daily exercise. Evidence shows that exercise can reduce the symptoms of anxiety. If your teen isn’t involved in a sport, try inviting them to walk or run with you before or after dinner or suggest a game of soccer in the backyard. If you have a dog, ask your teen to take responsibility for walking it each day.
• Encourage your teen to eat a healthy diet. Too much sugar, a high-fat diet, and other poor eating habits can exacerbate anxiety. Have your teen focus on eating more vegetables, whole grains, fruits, dairy products, and lean sources of protein.
• Help your teen evaluate his or her schedule. It could be that they’re overextended. You might have to ask them to drop one or two activities if they’re too stressed out by their obligations. Time management techniques can help, too.
• Teach your adolescent about relaxation techniques. Visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises can all help your teen take charge of his or her anxiety.

Working with your teen to help them get through this period of transitioning from childhood to adulthood can help minimize teenage anxiety and set the stage for a lifetime of good mental health.