The teens I work with are super motivated, smart, and real go-getters. They're also really really stressed out about mid-term and test season.
Each year, I find that there is more and more pressure teens experience to be high-performers in all areas. And each year, I see more and more teens stressing out to the point of emotional meltdowns and full-blown panic attacks.
Today I'm sharing with you two strategies that work really well for taming test anxiety:
1. Take Deep Breathes
Remembering to breathe deeply is important to calm down our physiological stress reactions and refocus our thoughts. When you takes a few deep breathes your body will physically relax, followed by your emotions and thinking. If you want to see more about how to deep breathe you can check out my video all about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTaTPsDsG5U
2. Squeeze Lemons
To be clear, I am not saying bring lemons to your test to squeeze. I'm pretty sure most teachers might not enjoy cleaning up lemon juice before grading your tests. You can however, imagine you are holding a lemon in each hand and squeeze as though you were making lemonade.
This technique mimics the same progressive muscle relaxation strategy as a stress ball. To really amplify these results, you can alternate which hand you squeeze, slowly 6-8 times. Squeezing and relaxing your muscles releases tension and stress you may be holding in your body- again, allowing your emotions and mind to follow in relaxing so you can focus more.
You Got This!
Remember, most teachers want your teens to succeed. If you notice your teen having trouble with school material, waiting until exam time can be problematic. Make sure you're checking in with your child's teachers along the way and speak up early if you notice any problems.
Want even more positive influences in your teen's life? Teen Girls Therapy Group is a weekly space where your teen girl can connect with others dealing with anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. By talking and learning together, they learn to feel better about the relationships they have with themselves and others.
If you want to secure your teen's spot- complete your complimentary 15-min parent phone screening at 203-228-8971 or completing the contact form here.
