While many people talk about anxiety for adults, teenagers and young adults are often overlooked. Teenagers are going through a lot of changes at the same time, and anxiety can run rampant without even realizing what it is. It is essential that teens get the same support and help for their anxiety as other adults, which journaling can help a lot with.
A Rise in Anxiety Among Teenagers and Young Adults
It is no surprise that teenagers are struggling more with anxiety these days. The National Institutes of Health reported that approximately 1 in 3 teens is dealing with anxiety. There has been speculation about many causes of the rise in anxiety among teenagers and adolescents. Social media and the over-consumption of technology come up quite often, as well as just the state of affairs teenagers are dealing with these days.
Journal to the Rescue?
There is a wide range of ways to deal with anxiety, not just for teens but people of all ages. From therapy to medications, just about every option is available. But if you are looking for a small place to start, journaling is a great option.
When it comes to anxiety, no one size fits all. Different people find different remedies to help them the best, though most use multiple anxiety-relief strategies. Journaling is something many anxiety sufferers have benefited from.
It can help give them a place to release the burden, identify what is causing their anxiety, and use various therapy methods.
Start With What’s Really Going on
A good way for teens to use journaling for their anxiety is to begin just writing how they feel and what’s going on. This includes anything causing these emotions, what panic attacks are like, and trying to identify what is triggering the anxious thoughts.
Allow your teens to just write it all out, as much and as often as they need to. Encourage them to write how they are feeling and what they are thinking when they have a lot of anxiety or stress, including after a panic attack is over. This is going to help tremendously to identify anxiety triggers.
Reframe Your Thoughts
The next part of journaling for anxiety is for teens to start reframing any anxious or negative thoughts they might have. While they do not need to turn every negative thought into a positive one, it helps to see what is causing their anxiety, then try to reason with themselves. What is the worst that could happen? Are their fears planted in reality, or just their own minds turning it into something far worse?
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