Helping Teens Cope With Anxiety
Working with Kids Who Suffer from Fears and Worries
Use these simple strategies to assist teens who may be dealing with anxious feelings.
Many kids are struggling with anxiety. The stress of everyday life, coupled with poor coping skills, can contribute to the likelihood that a child may have difficulty managing his fears. As someone who works with kids on a regular basis, you may wonder what you can do to ease their burden. Try these ideas for lightening the load.
Provide Structure
Where possible, try to adhere to similar schedules and activities from day to day. Unanticipated changes in routine can cause stress and uncertainty for kids with anxiety issues. They usually feel more comfortable with predictability. When changes need to occur, give plenty of warning and explain exactly what will happen. Also make sure that rules and expectations are clear as well, as ambiguity can increase stress levels.
Set a Good Example
If you model fear and anxiety in response to challenges, kids will pick up on it. Make sure kids see you reacting calmly to situations and using good problem-solving skills. You can even “talk your way” through problems to help kids understand the self-talk that is such a crucial part of handling crisis and setbacks.
Encourage Healthful Behaviors
Getting enough sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition is key to feeling one’s best. For kids who suffer from anxiety, these factors are even more crucial to keep them healthy and energized.
Listen to Their Feelings
Resist the temptation to dismiss their fears as trivial, no matter what they are. This will only cause them to feel that you don’t hear them, and will likely block any further communication. Instead, invite sharing by supporting and validating their experiences by truly listening to what they have to say.
Encourage Positive Thinking
Kids with anxieties often psych themselves out before they even get started. Instead, encourage them to use positive self-talk to counter the negative “I can’t” thoughts in their head. Since believing you can do something needs to come before actually doing it, this is the first step in helping kids overcome their fears.
Relaxation
Teach basic relaxation techniques to use when stress levels get high. Deep breathing, counting slowly from one to ten, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization are all simple ways to calm anxieties down when they get out of hand.
Small Steps
Don’t expect huge changes all at once. Success will come in slow, steady increments. Have students outline their fears, and rank order them from least to most anxiety-provoking. Attack lower-stress situations first, and use the confidence that comes with success to tackle bigger issues.
Know When to Get Help
If a student's anxieties are interfering with her functioning, are getting worse, or are causing extreme distress, a referral to a psychologist or therapist may be warranted. Discuss your concerns with parents and, if appropriate, help them locate the services their child requires.
