Whether you are a parent of teenagers or have them in your classroom, it's most likely that one or more are struggling with anxiety. With so many pressures from school, friends, and family, as well as physical changes and emotional challenges, teens have a lot on their plates. Nerves about their future can lead to negative thinking patterns and bad stress that can cause reactions that can otherwise be avoided.
Here are 20 teacher-recommended books to help your teens process and overcome their anxiety hump.
1. Conquer Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Find Peace from Worry, Panic, Fear, and Phobias
Here is a resource designed to provide teens with effective skills and information they need to understand and cope with anxious thinking patterns and find some peace in their chaotic lives. Includes writing prompts and lessons on mindfulness.
Learn more: Amazon
2. The Mindfulness Workbook for Teens Anxiety and Depression
Here is a useful book with many mindfulness techniques specifically targeting different aspects of anxiety. It breaks down different anxiety issues into understandable definitions students can relate to such as depression and fear of judgment.
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3. The DBT Skills Workbook for Teens
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a method used to help teens and kids of any age understand their anxious minds and learn effective exercises to cope with stressors like school, friendships, as well as external and internal pressures overall.
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4. Don't Tell Me to Relax: One Teen's Journey to Survive Anxiety and How You Can Too
It can be beneficial for teens to hear accounts from others that have gone through or are experiencing similar struggles to their own. Author Sophie Riegel tells her personal journey of how she became aware of her anxiety disorders and through her real-world examples, readers can find acceptance and support, along with tips and insights.
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5. Anxiety Relief for Teens
How can we manage our reactions to stressful situations when life feels too overwhelming? This book teaches mindfulness techniques based on cognitive-behavior therapy to help teens process their anxiety through exercises and self-assessments.
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6. If You’re Freaking Out, Read This: A Coping Workbook for Building Good Habits, Behaviors, and Hope for the Future
Looking for real-life examples from someone who is going through similar mental and emotional challenges as you? Author Simone Deangelis shares her personal experiences dealing with anxious "freakouts" and what self-care practices worked for her.
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7. Anxiety Sucks: Teen Survival Guide
Short, simple, and to the point, this book for kids 9+ is witty, full of wisdom, and exercises for anxiety management your kids can get on board with!
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8. Anxiety: The Ultimate Teen Guide
For teens who want to understand the different types, causes, and coping methods for anxiety, this book has it all! A practical tool handy to have in your classroom or in your home.
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9. The Teen Girl's Anxiety Survival Guide: Ten Ways to Conquer Anxiety and Feel Your Best
Boys and girls can experience anxiety in different ways. For girls, there may be more pressure or stress regarding their appearance or friendships. When we get stuck in a loop of negative or judgemental thoughts towards ourselves, it can help to know positive messages and exercises to calm our minds.
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10. Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens: Using CBT, Neuroscience, and Mindfulness to Help You End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
Backed by science and incorporating behavioral therapy techniques, this guide can help teens understand their anxiety on a deeper level and become comfortable with the unique aspects of their minds that make them special.
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11. The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens
What can we do when we feel anxiety sneaking into our brains, and how can we manage our difficult emotions? This toolkit provides safe and simple anger management skills, as well as information to help teens feel more in control of their current situation.
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12. It's Not So Bad: A Structured Journal for Teens with Anxiety
Writing can be an amazing tool to deal with stressful situations. This guided journal provides prompts to help teens process and break down messy thoughts and emotions in their lives. A safe and personal space to build yourself up instead of breaking yourself down.
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13. I Would, But My DAMN MIND Won't Let Me!
Does your teenager struggle with negative self-talk and low self-esteem due to severe anxiety? This book provides examples and insights into how to make decisions, process difficult thoughts and emotions, and overcome anxiety symptoms.
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14. Social Anxiety Relief for Teens
There are many different types of anxiety, and social anxiety is a big one teens face in their busy school and hobby-filled lives. With cognitive-behavioral therapy, this book gives info and examples of social situations that cause anxiety, and what you can do to foster healthy reactions and behaviors.
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15. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens
Our confidence and self-esteem are so fragile when we are teenagers, and this can cause social anxiety or us to avoid spending time with others. This book provides exercises to help teens overcome scary social situations and blossom into the brave, beautiful flowers they are!
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16. The Teen Girl's Survival Guide: Ten Tips for Making Friends, Avoiding Drama, and Coping with Social Stress
One of the best resources for a teenager dealing with anxiety is a good support system. Whether that means friends or family, social connections can help girls feel safe and more willing to open up about their anxieties and seek support.
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17. The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry, and Panic
What does your anxiety do to negatively affect your life? Teen anxiety can come in many different forms, but the first step to overcoming its harmful symptoms is by understanding and accepting them, and yourself!
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18. Creating Calm: Journal for Teens
What is going on inside our brains when we experience depression, sadness, stress, or other negative emotions? This journal breaks down anxiety into bite-size pieces so teens can first get informed and then use this information to cope with their specific triggers by writing down their thoughts.
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19. Feeling Better: CBT Workbook for Teens: Essential Skills and Activities to Help You Manage Moods, Boost Self-Esteem, and Conquer Anxiety
This interactive book contains useful prompts teens can work through individually or use with friends and family to process difficult emotions and help with anxiety reactions.
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20. Brave: A Teen Girl's Guide to Beating Anxiety and Worry
Written for teenage girls who are looking to learn useful life skills as they grow into young adults. Being brave can come in many forms, and this book provides core coping skills, stories, and lessons to promote inner confidence/positive habits of thinking.
Learn more: Amazon
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