Realistic Thinking for Teens

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.