Everyone has anxiety, including teens and tweens. Anxiety is important. It’s a natural reaction that our body has to a new situation. It serves as a basic survival function – like a warning system that alerts us whenever we perceive a dangerous experience. For some, it works over time and needs to be controlled. Techniques including visualization and mindfulness can help tweens or teens with anxiety.

• Visualization – The tween/teen needs to talk about their anxiety in tangible ways. What does it look like? How big is it? Where does it live? What does it sound like?  Eventually, they draw the anxiety as they see it and we talk about the details. Basically, have them paint a very vivid picture of their anxiety. The key is to get them to connect their anxiety to the painting instead of some scary elusive being next time the anxiety visits.
• Writing/Journaling – The teen or tween can write stories (mainly fantasy) where they challenge the anxiety and win. This starts to take the power away from the anxiety. You can get some truly amazing stories from your clients, who have big imaginations. It also gives you insight into what about the anxiety is the scariest for each teen/tween with anxiety and use that information to help them moving forward.
• Building a mantra – A mantra is a saying that is meaningful to you that when repeated, makes you feel calm, confident and grounded. You can also call this “your theme song.”  It can be completely made up, a great line you heard from a movie or a verse from a song/poem that just makes you feel good, powerful and strong. Once a tween/teen chooses a mantra, have them repeat it pretty consistently until they fully embrace it. You want them to “naturally” start reciting the mantra next time they have an anxiety attack to ground themselves and move through the anxiety.

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