Stress and Anxiety for Your 14-Year-Old

Teens and adults alike feel stress. Stress is the physical or mental response to an external cause, such as an argument within a friend group or struggling with a big school project. Feelings of stress are built-in mechanisms for human survival and safety. These feelings are the body’s way of warning you when there is a threat and calling your focus to problems that need attention. A stressor can be one-time or ongoing.  On the other hand, anxiety is the body’s reaction to stress and can occur even if there is no current threat. While all humans experience some anxiety, when worries and fears become persistent, they can begin to interfere with everyday life and impact your teen’s health.  As a parent or those in a parenting role, you can guide your teen to learn to identify and manage their stress -- an important skill they will use for a lifetime.