Has Your Teenager Been Struggling During COVID-19?
The pandemic has been hard on us all. Having to change our routines has disrupted our established
patterns and instilled a sense of anxiety and uncertainty in us, especially in teenagers. Used to the routines of school, and socialising with their friends, teenagers are feeling the effects of the pandemic even more than their parents. The Oxford Achieving Resilience during Covid-19 study found that teenagers are reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety than their parents, on a consistent level.
Why Has Lockdown Affected Teenagers?
Many of the reasons that teenagers are feeling more anxious and depressed can be said for us all, but teenagers, especially younger ones, may not realise the severity of the situation. As well as this, teenagers often have to fight with changing hormones which can already make it harder to regulate emotions.
- Lack of Social Contact – Going from seeing your friends every day, to not being able to spend any time with them can come as a shock. This also hinders their support network. Young people are more likely to confide in other young people, and so they may feel like those who support them the most have been taken away.
- Lack of Personal Space – Teenagers who are stuck at home with younger siblings may feel like they don’t have any space to themselves, and so maybe easily agitated.
- High Focus on School Work – When at school, teenagers get to socialise with their friends, have jokes, and relax with their peers. With studying at home, they miss out on all the fun parts of school and only do the work.
- High Tensions in the Household – Everyone is feeling the effects of the pandemic, increasing our stress levels. Tensions may be high between family members and the frequency of arguments may have increased. Teenagers may feel like they can’t escape the “family drama” and have to put up with it.
- Uncertainty – The uncertainty caused by COVID-19, and how it might affect their future can leave many teenagers with anxiety over what’s to come.
How Can You Support Your Teen?
It’s important to support your teenager in this difficult time. Acknowledging and validating their feelings is the best place to start. Here are some other ways to help:
- Help Them Practice Mindfulness – Teaching your children how to practice mindfulness can help them to reduce their anxiety. Getting into yoga or meditation is a great way to put their minds at ease and allows them to reduce stress.
- Night-time tracks – download different tracks for them to listen to each night, have a look at my shop here for inspiration
- Allow Them Time to Talk – Making sure your teen knows that you are there for them to talk about whatever worries and emotions they may be experiencing can alleviate some anxiety. Set some time each day where they can just talk through their thoughts with you.
- Allow for Boundaries – Allowing undisturbed time for your teenager can help them feel less overwhelmed at home. It’s important to respect their boundaries and give them some space.
- Empower Them – We all feel a bit powerless in the current situation, so encouraging your teen to do things that they can do can help to make them feel a bit more in control. This could be doing something as simple as allowing them to help do the shopping list or planning a schedule. Allow them a voice and some decision-making.
Be There for Your Teen
Being there for your teen is the most important thing you can do to help them with their anxiety. Whilst you shouldn’t be overbearing, let them know that they can talk whenever they feel they need, and make time to listen to them. Sometimes just talking through their feelings and emotions can be a huge help. It’s a struggle for us all at the moment, but as long as we look after ourselves and each other, we can get through this.
If you need further external support, feel free to give me a call or email me at viv@hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk
Sometimes that external help from a neutral source can be a game-changer.