April 1st, 2025.
Written by General Psychologist, Anna Earl.
Mindful Teens: Easy Ways to Take Control of Mental Health
The most common mental health issues teenagers struggle with are anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are both uncomfortable feelings that can get in the way, can drain our energy, create doubt and stop us from doing the things that bring us joy and meaning.
Anxiety often involves lots of worrying about the future. This may include a lot of what if type thinking: ‘what if….I can’t, people think I’m not good enough, I make a mistake, I fail the exam, I say the wrong thing, I can’t think of anything to say, I feel uncomfortable etc. On the other hand, Depression often stems from giving ourselves a hard time about the past. For example: ‘I should have done X, I’m not good enough, hopeless etc… Sometimes too much overthinking can make it hard to sleep and contribute to more stress and even burnout. Or because these feelings lead us to avoid things that we would like to do.
We are also all a bit different. Some of us are biologically more sensitive than others, some of us love doing well at things and worry when we don’t, some of us have had bad things happen in the past and worry they will happen again, some of us feel uncomfortable with too much attention, and some of us struggle to pay attention and fall behind. We are all a bit different, and all sorts of things can contribute to how we feel.
As a psychologist working with young people, I usually try and help people to understand their patterns and triggers. When we are able to understand ourselves, it is easier to know what we need and which strategy will be helpful.
If you have lots of physical symptoms then grounding and mindful strategies can be a good place to start. Examples of these are slowing down our breathing (e.g. taking 5 deep breathes, allowing the out-breathe to be longer than the in-breathe, going for a walk, listening to music, dancing around the bedroom) or using our senses to shift our attention back to the present (e.g. smelling something pleasant, chewing a sour lolly, looking around for 5 things that are blue etc). If we are caught up in thinking too much about the future, we can use strategies to bring ourselves back to present (e.g. Connecting with our senses).
When working with young people I try to use humour and usually try help normalise a teenager’s experience (‘Did you know 40% of Australians will experience difficulties with anxiety at some point), explain evolutionary reasons why we experience anxiety and depression (e.g. if we fit in with a group we are less likely to be picked off by a sabre tooth tiger), give examples from my own life (I became so afraid of heights a work colleagues husband took my abseiling. After some time, I developed a love for indoor climbing even if I wasn’t great at it.)
Talking with an adult can be confronting so I try to make it less so. I have a box full of interesting fidget toys and like to use humour. We often spend early sessions helping young people to understand their anxiety. I’m aware it can be hard for teenagers to describe exactly what is happening or even to talk about it so I often use lists of examples of physical symptoms, triggers, thoughts and behaviours that are commonly experienced by others. This can be helpful in numerous ways, generating conversation, helping to build awareness of patterns, and normalise their experience.
Not all of the techniques I have mentioned will work for everyone. Everyone has an individual experience and respond better to different methods of intervention. Some of these are good take home tips to have a go at navigating your own feelings and experience, or the feelings and experience of a child or adolescent. Remember that anxiety and depression are common, and you are not the only one that experiences them. Learning to understand yourself and your triggers is crucial to managing your symptoms. If you are having difficulty with the effects of anxiety and depression, there are always resources including helplines and chat rooms for when you may be in crisis. If you are experiencing ongoing distress and would like to enquire about sessions with a psychologist, please reach out to the reception team at Ivory Health for assistance or contact your GP for recommendations.
