https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/10-reasons-american-teenagers-are-more-anxious-than-ever.html
I read the attached article this past weekend and it struck a nerve deep within my soul. As a person deeply committed to education and the “success”, however it might be personally defined, of young people in this society and worldwide, I have seen the truthfulness of these words in devastating effect. However, what might not be so clearly apparent is that we are creating anxiety in our children because, we as adults, are lacking the ability to deal with stress and anxiety for many of the exact same reasons. It seems highly unlikely, almost inevitable, that if we feel anxiety in our own lives and lack the skills and abilities to effectively handle the anxiety and move forward in a positive manner, that we have any chance of effectively helping our kids not to feel the exact same anxieties in their own lives.
In my limited experience in education and dealing with young people in a school setting, I can state with certainty, if we truly are interested in helping our sons, our daughters, our students, our future, the work needs to begin within ourselves. There is no way I can effectively help a young person or offer any assistance in dealing with anxiety if I don’t have the ability to effectively handle my own anxiety.
Our kids are feeling anxiety because we are feeling anxiety. If we truly care about the young people in our own families and schools and the societies in which we live, we need to be certain we are setting the examples and living the lives that will benefit our children in very real ways. Just don’t tell our kids how not to feel anxious, show them.
A Grateful Life 