Helping Your Anxious Teen About Going To College
Your teen has been living under the same roof, your roof, for their entire life. You knew their whereabouts every single day of their life.
They’ve been going to the same schools, surrounding themselves with the same classmates, teachers, and friends for their entire life. It’s all they’ve ever known.
But now they’re getting older. They’re growing up. You’re very excited about the person they’ve turned out to be, but you can tell that you’re not the only one a little nervous about them going to college.
This is how to help your anxious teen if they’re worried about going to college.
Validate Their Feelings
One of the best ways to help your teen with their anxiety about going to college is to validate their feelings. Try to think of your own experience about going off to college. You probably felt the same way as most teenagers do when they start something new. Let them know that what they’re feeling is okay and completely normal. Allow them to express how they’re feeling so that they can feel heard and understood. Allowing them to get their emotions off their chest may help them more than you think.
Be Supportive
As a parent, you want to do anything and everything you can to help your children. When it comes to something like anxiety, it isn’t always that easy. Try to show your teenager that you’re being supportive. Instead of trying to control them, let them know that you’re there for them however they need you to be. They may just need you to listen to them. Maybe they need a shoulder to cry on. Or they may be looking for your advice and stories about your personal experience.
Implement Healthy Habits
A lot of anxiety can impact someone’s health in a lot of different negative ways. Not only can anxiety affect someone’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings, but it can also hurt someone’s sleeping and eating habits. Try to implement healthy habits that they can carry with them when they are off to college. Make a grocery list with them, go grocery shopping, and meal prep together. Make sure they’re fueling their body with enough protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats during their day.
In addition to meals, try to get them on a good sleep schedule and routine. College may throw a lot of different events and activities their way. You need to make sure that they realize how important sleep is for their overall health and wellness. Try to get them to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning. This can help get their body and brain on a natural sleep cycle.
Another way that you can ensure your teen is healthy is to have them move their body for at least thirty minutes each day. This could mean going for a walk outside, hitting up the gym and lifting weights, or attending a workout class with a friend.
Teach Them Relaxation Techniques
Try to teach your teenager about relaxation techniques. Not only will this help them right now while they’re feeling anxious about going to college, but they’ll also be able to use some of these techniques when they’re alone at college. Practice some different techniques to see what works best for them. Here are some of the different techniques that you can try out:
Complete a body scan
Deep breathing
Go for a walk outside
Meditation
Repeating a mantra
Yoga
Next Steps
There’s nothing wrong with being a little anxious about attending college. Any type of change can be difficult to navigate. If your teen is struggling with this adjustment, working with an outside third party may be a great way to get to the bottom of their anxiety. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for parent coaching.
