Steve Miner, Marriage/Couple and Family Therapist

Steve Miner, Marriage/Couple and Family Therapist Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapist

07/04/2025
The following article was submitted by Jennifer Scott at Spiritfinder.orgNavigating Adolescent Anxiety: A Guide for Kids...
02/01/2025

The following article was submitted by Jennifer Scott at Spiritfinder.org

Navigating Adolescent Anxiety: A Guide for Kids and Parents

Adolescence is a period marked by significant change and growth, often accompanied by heightened anxiety. For families, addressing this anxiety requires a collective effort, where both parents and children actively participate in creating a supportive environment. This article explores various methods to help families work together in managing adolescent anxiety effectively.

Manage Their Diet
You might be surprised to learn that the foods your child consumes can significantly influence their anxiety levels. Diets high in sugar and processed foods can exacerbate anxiety symptoms in adolescents. These foods can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, contributing to mood swings and heightened anxiety. To help manage this, consider gradually reducing sugary snacks and processed meals in your child’s diet, replacing them with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. By making these dietary changes, you can support your child’s mental well-being and help them manage anxiety more effectively.

Spend More Time Outdoors
Engaging in outdoor activities and immersing yourself in nature can significantly alleviate anxiety in adolescents. Spending time in natural settings can reduce stress and provide a calming effect that is both immediate and long-lasting. To incorporate these benefits into your teen’s daily routine, consider simple activities like walking in a local park, gardening, or even having a picnic in your backyard. These activities not only offer a break from the digital world but also encourage physical exercise, which is known to release endorphins that enhance mood.

Become a Role Model for Your Children
As a parent, your actions speak louder than words. Demonstrating how to handle stress and anxiety can significantly influence your child’s approach to these challenges. Consider embracing new opportunities, such as pursuing a career change if your current job is overwhelming. This proactive stance not only fosters personal growth but also shows your child that fear and discomfort are natural parts of life that can lead to positive outcomes.

Discuss the Dangers of Social Media
In today’s digital age, social media plays a significant role in amplifying peer pressure, which can adversely affect adolescent mental health. As teenagers spend many hours online, they are constantly exposed to curated images and posts that often portray unrealistic standards of success and beauty. This exposure can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. To mitigate these effects, it’s crucial for parents and children to engage in open discussions about the realities of social media and develop strategies to manage its influence.

Ensure Better Sleep
Establishing good sleep hygiene is crucial for teenagers as it significantly enhances sleep quality and helps in alleviating anxiety. Adolescents require 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, yet many fall short due to poor sleep habits. By creating a consistent bedtime routine, minimizing screen time before bed, and ensuring a comfortable sleep environment, you can help your teen achieve restful sleep. Improved sleep not only boosts mood and cognitive function but also reduces stress levels, making it easier for teenagers to manage anxiety.

Start a Journal
Journaling offers teens a safe and personal space to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, helping them build self-awareness. By regularly writing about their experiences, they can identify patterns in their emotions and uncover triggers that may cause anxiety. This practice encourages mindfulness and provides an opportunity to process complex emotions in a nonjudgmental way. Over time, journaling can help teens develop a clearer understanding of themselves and their responses to different situations.

Enjoy Creative Activities
Engaging in crafting activities like knitting or model building can be a powerful way for adolescents to manage anxiety. These activities not only foster creativity but also provide a tangible sense of achievement, which can boost self-esteem and reduce stress. The repetitive motions involved in crafts such as knitting can trigger the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that enhances mood and promotes relaxation. By incorporating crafting into your routine, you and your child can create a shared space for relaxation and bonding.

By adopting these strategies, families can cultivate an environment where anxiety is addressed with empathy and understanding. Through shared experiences and informed choices, parents and adolescents can build a foundation of trust and resilience, equipping them to face challenges together with confidence.

Address

Pocatello, ID

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Steve Miner, Marriage/Couple and Family Therapist posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category

What is a Marriage and Family Therapist

No marriage or family is perfect. In fact, many people may even admit that their families are downright dysfunctional. Traditional families are not the only types of families that seem to have problems, however. Because marriages and families today come in all shapes and sizes, marital and family problems can affect all sorts of non-traditional families as well, including blended families, extended families, single parent families, and families with same-sex parents.

All different types of families might be affected by all different types of problems. There are, however, a few very common arguments that arise in many families, causing undue stress and problems. Some common arguments may be about infidelity, jealousy, financial disagreements, child rearing, household responsibilities, substance abuse, mental illness, teenage rebellion, various career paths, and more.

Nearby clinics

Other Pocatello clinics

Show All