Are you worried that your child is struggling with too much on their plate? You might have noticed mood or behavioural changes in your teen that indicate they are struggling with overwhelm. Here are 5 steps to help them with this.
5 Steps to Manage Teenager Overwhelm
1) Name
Talk to your child, say that you notice they are more …… quiet, worried, withdrawn, upset and ask them what they are feeling or to name the physical sensations they have.
Naming their emotions helps them lose their charge. Assure your teen that their feelings are normal and that everyone goes through times when they feel stressed out.
2) List
Get them to list or tell you about all the things that are on their minds/ they are concerned about or they have to deal with.
Writing out worries helps them to seem more manageable, which can put them in perspective and can stop them going around and around in our heads.
3) Prioritise
Help them to sort out the activity things on the list into ‘have to do’, ‘nice to do’ and ‘not important to do’
By looking at the list and grouping them you can identify things with them that they can let go of, even for a temporary period. For example if they help with chores you could suggest they choose just one they are going to do or miss them for a week.
4) Plan
Encourage them to look at one week or day at a time and work out which things from the list they are going to do and not worry about the rest.
Making a plan helps give a sense of control and provides structure to give a focus to activities and avoid wasting time and energy on things that aren’t essential.
5) Relax
Let them know the importance of taking time out and looking after themselves
Having breaks and relaxing helps with productivity and improves focus. Plus, if it’s a physical activity we release happy hormones (endorphins). Check that the ‘nice to do’ list has some self-care activities – having a bath, reading a book/listening to music, talking to a friend, going for a walk – and that there are some of these every day.
By supporting your teen to use these steps you will help them manage their overwhelm and feel more able to face the demands they are facing.
Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about helping your teen to develop coping strategies for managing stress and to feel calmer. Book a free exploration call or email jacqueline@turquoisekey.co.uk
