Where do teens escape when they just can’t deal with the overwhelming expectations of adolescent life? When teenage kids are feeling stressed, it gives them relief to turn back to the things that gave them enjoyment and regress into the safe world that once gave them comfort as a young child. Welcome SpongeBob and Disney movies!
Thanks to author Lisa Damour, she hits it right on the nail when she talks about teens reverting back to the simpler times and how it helps teenagers de-stress. Gaining a sense of creativity and control, some teens can learn how to effectively cope with their daily life stresses. Rather than breaking down and feeding into the social and academic pressures that confront them, SLOWING DOWN and being aware of their feelings and finding positive distractions are helping to alleviate their anxious or depressed moods. But this takes a certain awareness and consciousness of those emotions.
An excellent lesson – When kids can slow down, and independently learn positive coping mechanisms to turn down the stress volume, it’s an excellent way of re-shifting those overwhelming teenage stressors.
Just a thought for parents – At what point do you step in to help guide and support your kids when you notice they’ve reached their stress threshold?