Dealing with Anxiety in Stressful Times

Teens and anxiety can be a tumultuous mix to say the least as normal teen life itself comes with its own brand of ups and downs.  But let’s add a global pandemic and social unrest to the mix and the results could be explosive if ignored.  Anyone who works with teens can see that many are struggling to manage their day-to-day responsibilities all while making decisions about a future that seems unpredictable and frankly a little scary.

How do we help them?  Honestly, while teens may feel a little adrift in times like these, many adults who work with them are struggling themselves to have a clear roadmap for the future.  We have never led a family, conducted our businesses, or worked to educate, through a pandemic or the current social climate either.  However, there is hope and ways to cope (and maybe even thrive) in this situation if we purposefully work together.

• Be HONEST with the teens that you work with.  The first step is to admit that we do not have all the answers either and that we are a little shaken as well.  Pretending like everything is perfect just for the sake of maintaining a false sense of normalcy is fake, and teens smell fake a mile away.
• Be DIRECTIVE in the specifics of day-to-day life.  As we all muddle through the details of pandemic life, do not be afraid to be more directive than you would have been in the past.  When things are so uncertain, teens need clear direction and guidance more than ever, even if they don’t express their needs to us that way.
• Be UNDERSTANDING of their struggles and fears.  No one has ever had to maneuver through some of the decisions that teens have to face right now.  Making college and career decisions at this time can seem risky, especially as teens may have to weigh out the lesser of two evils as they make those decisions.  Listen to their concerns, and be patient to talk through their options without judgment.
• Be OTHERS FOCUSED as you help guide teens so that they can also look outside of their tough circumstances to help others.  The needs in our country and community are so great right now; there is always someone to help or something to be done for those around us.  Leading teens to focus outside of their own needs can help them deal with their own anxiety by shifting their perspective off of themselves and onto the ways they can help others.

Building and maintaining genuine relationships can help overcome our teen’s worry and unease about an uncertain future.  Walking through the current circumstances with our teens can help them learn to cope with the pressures of life that they are currently facing as well as prepare them to cope with the pressures of life that will inevitably come throughout adulthood.  Helping them rest in the hope of God’s good plans for them¹ instead of the hopelessness of the unknown is the bedrock of dealing with any anxiety regardless of age.  God has placed each and everyone of us here for a purpose and with a job to do².  Let’s help our teens focus on that and continue on this journey together with our focus on the future hope we have in Jesus instead of the difficulties of our current situation.

¹Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

²Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”