7 Anxiety-Busting Habits for You and Your Teen

“I haven’t felt this anxious since high school, Mom! What’s wrong with me?”

My college-age daughter blinked back tears as we walked in our neighborhood this afternoon, attempting to get to the root of why she felt so overwhelmed. She struggled with severe anxiety during her teen years, but the past few years have been much better until recently.

The Problem:

It is no secret that today’s teenagers are significantly more anxious than previous generations. While it’s impossible to narrow it down to just one cause, experts agree that high rates of social media use, lack of direction and purpose, cultural instability, and a desperate need for connection with others all contribute to their anxiety.

As a believer, I would add that our self-centered culture magnifies the problem by keeping teens so focused on themselves that they lose sight of the only One who can calm the storms spiraling inside them. After all, it’s hard to find the Prince of Peace when you’re looking in the mirror—or at everyone else’s life on a screen.

So, how do you, as a parent, help resolve your teen’s anxiousness, particularly if you struggle with anxiety yourself? And even if you’re not a worrier by nature, having an anxious teenager will turn you into one overnight. Believe me, I know!

The Solution:

We do the same thing we do whenever we need wisdom—we turn to God and His Word.

Thankfully, Jesus recognized our tendency to worry about things we can’t control. In Matthew 6, he reminded the disciples how futile worrying is. Surely, if the Lord cares for the flowers of the field and the birds of the air, He will meet our every need as well.

Jesus ended this conversation with some important advice: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Paul echoes this advice in his letter to the Colossians (3:1-2): “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

One thing to remember about adolescents is they often pay more attention to what we do than what we say. While we can (and should) share these truths with our teenagers, I’ve found it’s much more effective if we model it for them, too. After all, what kid wants to take advice about anxiety from an anxious parent?

So, as I considered what it means to seek God’s Kingdom first and set my heart and mind “on things above,” I decided to take a hard look at what I tend to prioritize in my life. How do I actually spend my time? What are my initial reactions in moments of stress and anxiety? What preferences or standards guide my decisions? Do all these things line up with what I say I believe about God?

After pondering these questions, I decided it was time for me to create some new habits. My prayer is that they will not only reorient my life to be less anxious and more focused on Christ but also set a positive example for my teens. Perhaps some of them might also resonate with you!

Here Are 7 Anxiety-busting Habits for You and Your Teen

1. Prioritize reading God’s Word (and putting it into action) over scrolling on your phone.

“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

2. Prioritize praying rather than panicking.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

3. Prioritize serving others more than selfish desires.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:3-5).

4. Prioritize gratitude instead of grumbling.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“Do everything without complaining and arguing so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:14-15, NLT).

5. Prioritize contentment over consuming.

“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions'” (Luke 12:15).

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

6. Prioritize growth over comfort.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

7. Prioritize the eternal over the temporary.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV).

Which of these habits could have the greatest impact on how you walk with Jesus each day? Start with that one, and feel free to share them with your teen as well!