How to Parent an Anxious Teen: Practical Strategies for Teen Anxiety

Anxiety is a common experience among teenagers, and today on Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You, we are sharing some tips for parenting teens with anxiety! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about how anxiety manifests differently in different people, what it looks like in teens on a basic level, how to know when it’s affecting how they function, and the importance of helping teens get out of their heads to combat anxiety. We delve into why feelings need to be named, acknowledged, and felt before discussing why anxiety is contagious, how to model behavior for your teens, and how to make sure co-regulation is effective. We even talk about the difference between sphere of influence and sphere of control and why you should validate your kids’ emotions first. Finally, we touch on the value of exercise for teenagers and how to keep an eye on your kids’ anxiety to avoid bigger, clinical issues. Thanks for listening in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:03:16] Today’s topic of discussion: how to parent anxious kids.  
• [0:04:41] How anxiety manifests differently in Meredith and Cathy.
• [0:06:42] What anxiety looks like in teens and how to know if it’s affecting them.
• [0:10:45] How to help teenagers bring themselves back to the present moment.
• [0:18:12] The power of modeling behavior and how to properly co-regulate. 
• [0:22:33] Why you should validate before you problem-solve (if at all).
• [0:24:21] Explaining the difference between sphere of influence and sphere of control.
• [0:25:49] The value of physical movement and exercise for teenagers.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You

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