If your teen is angry, you may feel helpless as to what to do to help. Teenagers often have difficult times expressing their emotions or managing them. Here’s some advice for how to deal with angry teens and help your teen through the tough times.
Honor the Anger
It’s important to respect the reasons for your teen’s anger, even if you don’t understand or you think they are overreacting. Take the time to understand their issues and reassure them that their feelings are real and valid and require processing. What may seem like a minor bump in the road may seem insurmountable to your teenager.
Watch for Warning Signs or Triggers
If your teen is lashing out or behaving aggressively, try to take not of how often and the circumstances. From this, you may be able to see a pattern or draw conclusions about triggers. For instance, if your child is angry or engages in an emotional phone conversation with the same friend repeatedly, it could signal problems with the relationship. Look also for signs of depression – dark circles under the eyes that could indicate poor sleep, loss of appetite, or thinning hair that could be the result of stress.
Encourage Talk
Try to talk to your angry teen. The key will be to create an opportunity and a receptive environment. Don’t push. If you can, try to ask questions that require conversation rather than a simple “yes or no.” Don’t be discouraged if your teen clams up – this is often a game of inches, so to speak. You’ll get small pieces of the puzzle and, with any luck, get the opportunity to provide insights and advice.
Promote Diet, Exercise and Sleep
Try to improve your teen’s resilience to stress and reduce the intensity of their anger with healthy habits. Make sure your teen’s diet includes balanced offering of grains, protein, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure they are taking a multi-vitamin – and opting for something with a healthy dose of B-Complex vitamins will boost their central nervous system, which may help them handle stress more effectively.
Exercise is another proven stress-reliever. Get your teen into activities that move their bodies – organized sports, hiking, swimming or other activities will release endorphins and feelings of well-bring. That’s a powerful remedy for anger or depression.
Lastly, see to it that your teen is getting enough sleep. Most teens are sleep-deprived, and this deprivation can manifest in depression, anger, poor concentration, poor performance at school and even physical illness. It’s not enough to let them head to their rooms at night. Many teens are up late due to one reason: they’re on their phones, talking or texting well into the night. Have a rule that the cell phone gets left on the table or someplace that’s not their bedroom. This will reduce the late-night screen time that may be affecting sleep.
Try these tips for how to deal with angry teens today to see if you can help your teen identify the source of their anger and find healthy ways to deal with it.
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