29/01/2026
Anxiety isn’t a choice and it isn’t defiance.
When a young person is anxious, their nervous system is working overtime to protect them. What we see on the outside – avoidance, refusal, irritability or shutdown – is often the result of an over-protective brain stuck in survival mode.
Punishments and pressure tend to increase stress rather than reduce it. Support works best when we offer reassurance, flexibility and calm spaces that help the nervous system settle.
Understanding anxiety through a regulation-first lens allows adults to respond in ways that actually help young people feel safer and more able to cope.
Save or share if this is useful in your work.