How does stress affect teenagers?

Teens experience heightened levels of stress with so many changes going on in their world. Stress can have a big impact on their ability to learn. As parenting educator Maggie Dent explains, anxiety can be both positive and negative. She recommends you talk to your teen about their stress and if your teen’s anxiety is getting too much, explore what you can do at home to make things calmer for your teen.

Learn how to look after you while parenting your teen and read about how family time can help your teen connect at home and at school.

Transcript

[Music]

Maggie: Teens are at heightened levels of stress because they’ve got all these changes going on that are colliding with each other; that are making them think differently, feel deeply, struggle with moods. So I want to touch on the impact of distress and stress on our teen’s capacity to feel safe in their world and to learn well. I want you to talk to them about stress. I want you to ask them how it feels in their body. Have they got butterflies in their tummy? Anxiety, remember, is actually not all bad. Sometimes, the anxiety is getting you ready for a test or an exam. It gives you a bit more energy; it helps your brain to be more alert, but if the anxiety has got so big that you’re flooding and you can’t get to school, then it’s become unhelpful.

So again explore things in your home that build a sense of calmness.

Narrator: You can discover more on the Spark Their Future website.