Help Your Teen Relax

The two most stressful words to hear when you’re freaking out: Just relax. But you can turn those words into a powerful tool if you can teach your teen how to relax so they can remain focused and handle challenges. Relaxation is the opposite of avoidance; it’s not ditching the real world in order to soak at a spa. It’s tricking your involuntary nervous system so you can flip a switch and turn off the stress response, telling your body to choose calm over crisis. It starts with taking active and intentional steps to “just relax” when you feel your body tense.