5 Strategies to Encourage Self-Compassion With Your Teen
Did you know that one of the top causes of teen stress is negative thoughts and feelings about themselves? Neurological, biological and social changes during adolescence make teens more self-conscious, and that can quickly lead to self-judgment and self-criticism. To stop the cycle, teach your teen how to practice self-compassion. “Self-compassion is simply giving the […]
4 Ways Your Teen Can Practice Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing is simple: Inhale. Exhale. Pay attention. Repeat. Can something so simple really make a difference to teens? A recent study of nearly 400 11th-graders says yes. The more students practiced mindful breathing techniques, the more they reported feeling capable of managing stress. Lead researcher Deborah Schussler says that’s because mindful breathing buys teens […]
How Gratitude Impacts Teen Mental Health
What if you could give your teen a secret inner strength to raise their confidence, protect their mental health, and ensure lifelong access to optimism? Positive psychology researchers say you can, and that secret strength is gratitude. Studies show that practicing gratitude causes lasting changes in the brain that are particularly impactful for teens. And […]
Strategies for Helping Teens Avoid Burnout
Burnout is an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion caused by long-term stress. Although we usually think of burnout affecting adults, we now know teens get burned out, too. In fact, a recent study revealed that while the average American adult rates their stress level at 3.8 on a 10-point scale, the average stress score for teens […]
Stress Strategies for Teens
Teenagers now report higher stress levels than almost any other age group, according to a new report from the American Institute of Stress. Teens feel stressed for lots of reasons, including academic pressure, negative thoughts and feelings about themselves, family financial problems, or the illness or death of loved ones. And teens deal with this […]
Raising Your Teen to Have Self-Compassion
“In this incredibly competitive society of ours, how many of us truly feel good about ourselves?” asks author and self-compassion researcher Dr. Kristin Neff. It’s a sobering question, especially when we’re talking about teens. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry identifies “negative thoughts or feelings about themselves” as one of the top causes […]
6 Strategies to Simplify Your Teen’s Life
It’s no secret that today’s teens are stressed. According to surveys conducted by the nonprofit Challenge Success, 95% of middle and high school students are sleep deprived, 77% experience stress-related health symptoms, and 63% say they are “constantly worried” about academics. Researchers attribute rising teen stress levels to the same factors that drive adult stress, […]
3 Mini-Meditations for Teens
Teens today have a lot of reasons to feel stressed. Mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment – is one of the best ways to deal with stress, but kids, like adults, often find it challenging to adopt new habits, especially when stress levels are already high. We recommend starting small with strategies that […]
