In this post: Tweens and teens can often get sucked into a negative rut. When used regularly, positive affirmations for teens can help calm anxiety and build up self esteem.
What Exactly Is A Positive Affirmation?
Life is stressful and sometimes overwhelming for our teens (really for everyone these days). Providing coping mechanisms has become increasingly important when it comes to protecting their mental health. As the benefits of yoga and mediation become more and more recognized (with people of all ages practicing them regularly), there has also been more focus on the concept of “mantras”.
Mantras, also often referred to as affirmations or positive thoughts, are simply words or phrases that one can repeat silently or out loud to help manage thoughts, set intentions, and to increase focus. They can be a great tool for a stressed person in a moment of need.
Introducing young adults to the use of teenage affirmations can help them better navigate this often confusing time of life and give them tools that can have a life-long impact. Oftentimes, the sooner teens are taught coping skills, the more likely they are to become habits, making them better equipped to handle the challenges life throws at them.
All parents hope to raise young people into well-adjusted and balanced adults and this is one simple way to help them along that path. It’s an easy win that can be implemented with little effort.
The Benefits of Using Mantras for Teens
Mantras are a powerful tool that can help teens achieve their goals and overcome everyday difficulties and frustration. Teens’ brains are growing and developing, and the ways they process their experiences and spend their time are crucial to their development.
Each day your teen is trying to figure out what type of person they want to be in this world, and that comes with a lot of highs and lows. Social media also brings along a comparison trap that can cause a teen to incessantly evaluate themselves against their peers and not see the amazing person they are becoming. It is easy for an adolescent to start only seeing their flaws and get trapped in a cycle of negative thinking.
More teens than ever are suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, poor body image, eating disorders, and substance abuse, among others. While some kids are facing bigger issues than others, negative thinking can be contagious amongst adolescents, so arming your teen with a number of affirmations can help get them through a tough time. Obviously, mantras are not a replacement for mental health care, but they can be a powerful tool in your parenting toolbox if used correctly.
Some benefits of using mantras with your teens include:
- Helping them cope with negative self-talk and beliefs
- Increasing their self-esteem/self-image
- Improving their self-confidence
- Renewing their optimism and hope
- Developing a positive mindset
Overall, mantras can be used any time your teen needs guidance or support at any point in their lives. Positive affirmations can be powerful in helping teens deal with their fluctuating emotions and experiences.
How to Use Positive Affirmations for Teens
The benefit of mantras is in the power of repetition. Don’t be surprised if your teen doesn’t completely buy-in at first. That’s normal, and developing new habits is hard for anyone, but don’t give up.
The goal is for your teen to speak, hear, or see these affirmations 3-5 times a day (but the more the better.) If your teen doesn’t do it themselves, you can say it to them, or you can get creative by writing them on sticky notes in their rooms, cards in their lunches, or even text messages.
Hopefully, before you now it, using positive affirmations will be a part of your teen’s daily routine.
Effective Positive Affirmations For Teens
“All the wonders you seek are within yourself.”-Thomas Browne
The teenage years are brutal for kids. With the increase in technology and having social media and the internet in everyone’s pocket, it’s a lot different now than back in the day. There are so many emotions going on all at once and so many changes all happening at the same time. You want your teen to know that rather than depending on everyone else to establish them as valued or wanted, it’s okay to be different from everyone else.
“Today I abandon old habits and take up new, more positive ones.”
It might feel like your teenager is just a child, and to some extent, they still are. Even teens can have some bad habits, and it’s okay if they’re not perfect. However, it’s important to encourage them even when they are still young to stop bad habits and work on more positive ones. For example, if they’re staying up too late or being lazy now, this can shape them into someone who stays up too late and is lazy as an adult.
“Focus on the Good.”
As a teenager, it is so easy to focus on all the negative things happening in their lives. They may be getting bullied or struggling with their schoolwork. They may not get the part they wanted in a play or make the varsity squad. It could just be that they can’t keep their acne under control. There are a lot of random things that seem like the end of the world when your kids enter their teen years. It can be easy to develop a mental attitude that gets overly focused on the bad because the human brain is wired to give negative experiences more weight and recall. However, this is why it’s important to help them focus on the good things, it can actually rewire their brains and help them develop a generally more positive and optimistic outlook.
“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.”
Rejection is a part of your teenage years. Whether it’s not being asked to a party the popular kids are hosting or having someone your teens ask to prom say “no” or getting a college rejection letter you weren’t really expecting. Just because other people can’t always see how awesome and special your teen is, doesn’t mean that they’re not. Remind your teen that not everyone is going to like them or recognize what makes them unique, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t likable or that they don’t have many really amazing qualities.
An Additional List of Positive Affirmations For Teens
- It Is Okay If I’m Not Perfect, I Am Still Worthy And Valued
- I Can Only Do So Much, It’s Okay To Cut Myself Some Slack
- I Am At Peace, I Have Calm, I Do Not Need To Worry
- I Am Allowed To Be Happy And To Feel Good About Myself
- Not Everyone Has To Like Me, I Am Fine Just The Way I Am
- I Can Take Life At My Own Pace, I Don’t Have To Rush
- My Mistakes Don’t Define Me, Everyone Makes Mistakes
- I Am In Charge Of How I Feel And I Feel To Choose Happiness
- I Am Deserving Of Kindness and Respect From Others
- I Trust My Inner Voice, I Don’t Need To Doubt Myself
- My Existence Matters In This World, I Am Important
- I Have Faith Today Is Going To Be A Good Day
- I Know I Can Handle Any Challenge That I Face And Come Out Stronger
- All Of My Problems Have Solutions
- I Am Enough
- I Can’t Fix The Past, But I Can Do Better Next Time
- I Don’t Have To Have All The Answers, It’s Okay To Not Know
- Fear Is Normal, It Doesn’t Have To Stand In My Way
- I Am Smart, I Am Capable, I Am Strong
- Trying My Best Is All That I Can Ask Of Myself
- I Am In Control Of How I React To Others
- I Can Reach My Dreams, No One Else Truly Knows What I Am Capable Of
- I Am Unique And I Don’t Have To Compare Myself To Others
- I Can Choose Joy, I Can Choose Peace, I Can Choose My Path
- My Life Is A Gift, I Am Grateful For All That I Have
- Criticizing Myself and Others Does’t Serve Anyone, I Choose To Create Positive Energy
- I Have The Inner Power To Create Change
- I Do Not Have To Be A Prisoner To Negative Thoughts, I Can Free My Mind and Focus On Gratitude
- My Body Is Beautiful Just The Way It Is
- Acceptance Is Freedom
How do affirmations help in creating a more lovable and capable adolescent?
Whether it’s you saying these positive affirmations to your teen or as they begin to adopt them into their own mental dialogue, mantras help create a positive home environment. Once your teen realizes that affirmations have power and that they are important to say to themselves and to others, you’ll open up the door for all-new ways to bond with your teenager as well.
Having a teenager is like going on a wild roller coaster ride. There are so many different ups and downs. Hopefully, with these positive affirmations in your child’s hands, they can navigate the difficult terrain of their high school years with a little more confidence. Remember that even though they may be distant and want to be “independent,” they still need your guidance, and teaching them affirmations are a great place to start.
Raising Teens and Tweens Can Be Hard, But These Popular Posts Other Parents Found Helpful Might Make It A Little Easier:
Five Simple Ways to Teach Your Teen How to Self-Advocate
Five Empowering Things to Say to Your Anxious Teen
Six Tips to Prepare Teens to Take Charge of Their Health and Wellness
Comforting and Stress-Reducing Gifts to Help Your Anxious Teen
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