There are many male teens that struggle with high amounts of anxiety. Not all of them are at the level where they would be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. However, the anxiety causes them to experience things like lower self-esteem, fear of socializing, and more. If anxiety is something that you’ve been dealing with, know that you’re not alone. In fact, many of your peers are probably experiencing anxiety, too.
While there are some effective medications to treat anxiety, not everyone wants to rely on them. They’d rather treat their anxiety in more natural ways. One reason is that some anti-anxiety medication is addictive. Your brain and body become dependent on the medication, and it can be challenging to stop using when you want to come off it. Another reason is because there can be some uncomfortable side effects.
There are more natural ways to treat teen male anxiety. The following are several alternative anxiety-reduction paths to try out. Give the ones that resonate with you a try and see how they work for you. Keep in mind it may take some time and consistency to see real results – as with most things in life. Take note of what helps and keep doing that regularly.
Get More Control of Your Thought Life
Your thoughts matter, and if your thoughts are going unfiltered, they may be causing you undue stress and anxiety. If you are continually thinking negative thoughts, you’re likely to experience higher levels of anxiety. Take some time today and monitor your thought life. Write down the types of thoughts you are thinking. Are they mostly positive or negative? Which ones do you think are contributing to your anxiety?
Once you’ve done some “thought observing”, it’s time to start learning how to retrain your mindset to go from negative to positive. For example, if you keep thinking “No one really likes me. I’m all alone in this world”, it’s time to change that type of thought pattern. Maybe you could start saying, “I am likeable. I have a lot to offer, and I’m grateful for those that do like me.”
You get the idea. Turn the negative into a positive and say it over and over in your mind and out loud. It’s like discovering an app on your phone that’s messing your phone up. So, you delete the app and download a better one.
You make the appropriate changes and over time, you get better results.
Some experts say that between 85 and 95% of worrisome thoughts never even happen. Keep that in mind as you go throughout your life. Worry less, believe more.
Meditation/Prayer
You might think sitting still and being quiet sounds boring. However, science tells us that learning to quiet your mind offers tremendous benefits – less anxiety being one. If you commit to practicing silence or a meditation habit regularly, chances are your stress level will decrease. Many people who commit to just 10 minutes per day admit that they feel better mentally and emotionally. It’s easier than you think. Give it a try!
Deep Breathing
Every so often during the day, take two or three deep, slow breaths, being sure to exhale slowly. As you do, relax your entire body. Inhale to the count of four, hold for a second or two, and then exhale to the count of five. This will help you relax and get lots of oxygen to your cells, which can give your more focus and clarity for the day. Focus on your inhale and exhale often, as when you do, you tend to not focus on problems, issues, or annoying circumstances.
Regular Exercise
When you exercise, you’re doing more than just burning calories. You’re also releasing pent-up energy that could be causing anxiety. Maybe you’re not thrilled about exercise. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to exercise that don’t feel like you’re even working out. Here are some great ways to get moving:
- Walk your dog around the block every day.
- Start a yoga practice.
- Find a walking or jogging buddy.
- Join a recreational or school sports team.
- Take up a hobby that gets you moving (hiking, kayaking, golfing, etc.).
If you’re still not sure how you’d like to commit to moving your body more, do a quick Google search for ways to exercise. See what resonates with you!
Commit to Optimism
Optimism means looking for the good in every situation. It means to look for the silver lining and hope for the best. Aim to be an optimist. Practice optimism even when your anxiety levels are spiking. Say things like, “My anxiety is decreasing. I’m learning how to manage my anxiety levels nicely”. As you do, you’ll experience less stress and more peace and happiness. Start reducing your anxiety by trying these techniques. If you find that none of these are helping you, perhaps you should seek help from a counselor. They can be quite useful in helping you get to the root of your anxiety and manage symptoms.
Brother Be Well Editorial Team
BROTHER BE WELL
