Reset, refocus, relieve  

By Cashel Mathur, high school junior at The Park School of Baltimore & Neda Gould, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine 

Globally, it’s estimated that one in seven (14%) of 10–19-year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated. Psychotherapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT))) as well as psychiatric medications including antidepressants, can be effective treatments. In addition to these treatments, teens can use mindfulness as a simple, yet powerful tool to support their mental health. 

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment, free from judgment or distraction. Mindful awareness allows teens to notice their thoughts, emotions, and environment without getting overwhelmed by them. Studies have shown that mindfulness can help teens cope with stress and anxiety, as well as improve sleep, focus/attention, and emotional regulation. Well-meaning healthcare professionals and parents often tell anxious teens that they should just relax or stop worrying when they’re distressed. This can make teens feel invalidated and helpless. Mindfulness allows teens (and clinicians or parents) to acknowledge the validity of their experiences without feeling inadequate. 

Here we focus on how healthcare professionals and parents can approach teens about the concept of mindfulness. We provide specific phrasing that might resonate with teens, as well as methods to address barriers. Most importantly, all of the information provided is teen-approved! 

How to talk with teens about mindfulness:

1. Frame it as a tool.

Present mindfulness as a tool for improving anxiety, productivity, performance, and/or sleep. For example, you could say, “Mindfulness helps me calm down before a work presentation or relax when I’m feeling overwhelmed during a busy week,” or “Mindfulness is like hitting the reset button so you can feel ready to tackle what’s next.”

2. Recommend apps and influencers.

Share specific apps like Headspace or Calm, and mention influencers like Kobe Bryant and Taylor Swift, who have publicly talked about using mindfulness to improve their mental well-being.

3. Introduce quick exercises.

Start with brief and simple exercises. A three-minute breathing exercise such as “4-7-8 breathing” is an easy starting point: “Take a deep breath in for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds. Repeat this five times.”

4. Manage expectations.

Let teens know that mindfulness isn’t a “quick fix.” It might take time to notice big changes, so they shouldn’t get discouraged. You could phrase this as: “It’s like building a muscle. You won’t feel stronger after just one workout, but over time, you’ll notice a difference.” 

Addressing barriers to practice:

1. Mindfulness may feel weird at first.

Start with short videos or apps that appeal to younger people to ease them in. Mention peers or influencers who do mindfulness. 

2. Sitting with emotions feels uncomfortable.

Use grounding techniques to help teens stay present without feeling overwhelmed by their stress. For example, introduce the “5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique”: Name five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.

3. Difficulty with a long-term commitment.

Help teens build mindfulness into their routine and set realistic expectations, starting with a short two-minute session every day. Start small and build to longer sessions. Have them keep track of their progress through journaling or via apps.

Bonus: Practice together!  

Take two minutes during the appointment to do a mindfulness exercise. You can also reap the benefits of these practices while helping your teen learn mindfulness. 

Short practices and tools teens (and everyone!) can try: 

1. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique”

As mentioned above, teens can take a moment to name five things they can see, four they can feel, three they can hear, two they can smell, and one they can taste. 

2. Take a breath before checking the phone.

Before diving into social media, teens can take a deep breath in and out to reset their mind in preparation for potential triggers or stressors.

3. Focus on common stressors.

Have teens practice mindfulness around common triggers, like friend drama or upcoming exams. In stressful situations, have them focus on the raw facts instead of their emotional response. For example: “I have a math test tomorrow,” instead of, “I’m going to fail the test and not get into college.” 

4. Short body scan.

Teens can slowly scan their body from head to toe, paying attention to how each part feels. They can label the experiences with descriptive words (like cold hands, tingling in feet) instead of judgments (“I don’t like this”). 

For additional meditations and resources visit the Johns Hopkins Mindfulness Program website. 

Click here to read more about Dr. Neda Gould.

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.