Don’t Engage in Catastrophic Thinking

Teach your teen to take out their figurative ruler and measure their problems. Sometimes we allow small problems to expand in our minds, fed by fears and anxiety. When we view a threat out of proportion to its real danger, we’re engaging in catastrophic thinking. Take back power by being realistic and accurate. Get your teen to identify their fear and list what they know as fact. Get them to reframe negative thoughts from barriers to obstacles they need to navigate through. People can make problems feel large and scary. Parents can help teens bring things down to a manageable size.

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