
Lisa Damour
A compassionate guide addressing the rising stress and anxiety in adolescent girls, offering insights and strategies for parents to support their daughters’ mental health and resilience.
Girls today report higher levels of stress than their parents did at the same age.
Section 1
8 Sections
Stress and anxiety are often seen as unwelcome guests in our lives, especially when it comes to the experiences of adolescent girls. Yet,
Consider the example of a runner preparing for a marathon. The runner doesn't sprint full speed every day; instead, they gradually increase distances, allowing their body to adapt and grow stronger. Similarly, healthy stress inoculates us, making us better prepared for future challenges.
On the other hand, when stress becomes overwhelming and exceeds our capacity to cope, it turns unhealthy. This is when it interferes with our well-being, causing fatigue, irritability, and emotional distress. The key lies in balance — much like Goldilocks seeking the porridge that’s just right, we need stress levels that are neither too low nor too high.
Anxiety, closely related to stress, serves as an internal alarm system. It evolved to protect us from danger by triggering fear and caution. Our ancestors who ignored the signs of threat were less likely to survive, so those with a finely tuned anxiety system passed on their genes. Today, this system alerts us to both external dangers, like a strange noise at night, and internal ones, such as the impulse to speak hastily.
Yet, anxiety is often misunderstood and unfairly maligned.
Of course, anxiety can become excessive and debilitating, leading to disorders such as generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or phobias. But even then, modern psychology offers effective tools and treatments, from cognitive-behavioral therapy to mindfulness practices. These approaches teach individuals to observe their anxious thoughts without being overwhelmed by them, restoring balance and control.
Understanding the nature of stress and anxiety is the foundation upon which we build all other strategies for helping girls navigate their worlds.
As we move forward, we will explore how these internal experiences interact with the external world of home, friendships, school, and culture, shaping the unique pressures girls face today.
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Discover how stress and anxiety impact adolescent girls and what parents can do to turn fear into growth.
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