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About Anxiety Canada

Anxiety Canada's mission is to provide accessible, science-based anxiety relief. Learn about our community and who we are.

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Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns for children and adults, affecting upwards of 20% of children and adolescents over their lifespan. Everyone experiences anxiety sometimes.

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Realistic Thinking for Teens

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Youth PDF Balanced Thinking Facing Fears
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Help your children manage anxiety with this realistic thinking resource.

Imagining the worst can help us prepare for real danger, but this way of thinking can be overly negative and unrealistic, especially when there is no danger.

One strategy to help your child manage anxiety is learning to replace “anxious” or “worried” thinking with realistic thinking. This involves helping your child learn to see things in a clear and fair way without being overly negative. These strategies are aimed at older children or teens because some of these ideas may be more difficult for younger children to understand. However, remember that learning to think realistically can be difficult at any age, so give your child some time to learn and practice these skills.

Read more below or download the resource to help a child think realistically. To help younger children, see Healthy Thinking for Younger Children.

RealisticThinking_Teens
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Related PDF Resources

  • Realistic Thinking Form
  • Realistic Thinking
  • Applied Tension Technique For Children or Teens Who Faint at the Sight of Blood or Needles

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As of April 30, 2025, AnxietyCanada.com will no longer be updated, refreshed, or monitored. This includes French translations, which may be incomplete or imperfect. The website will remain live and accessible until March 2026.

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