Mindfulness-based activities can also enhance teens’ emotional wellbeing and decrease how overwhelmed they feel from stress. 2 That breathing space can look like teens’ increased awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and senses, as well as the ability to distance themselves from those thoughts and feelings. For example, mindfulness–slowing down to pay attention to what’s going on around you at the moment–can help teens create mental “breathing space” for dealing with distressing emotions. 1 Teens can learn to use healthy coping strategies to help build resilience in response to challenging circumstances and events. 1 If someone has a hard time coping with stress, it may play a role in their use of drugs or alcohol.
