What do you think of adolescence?
Tough period… Maybe it was your case or perhaps you have teenagers going through some challenges right now.
Indeed, adolescence is a challenging period in life. So many things are happening “under the hood” so to speak, that it’s no wonder that it can easily derail teens. Confusion, anxiety, and overwhelm are frequent in teens. And most adults blame raging hormones for teens losing their minds.
While hormones do increase during this period, what adolescents experience is primarily the result of important changes happening in their brain.
Instead of being a “time of immaturity” where teens need to “grow up” as generally thought. The changes that are happening in the adolescent brain push them to test boundaries and explore what is new and exciting.
While those dramatic changes can lead to challenges, they also open the door to new opportunities.
“Adolescence is not an immature period of life that teens need to get through and survive”.
In contrary, it is an opportunity to thrive.
With the right tools and strategies, teens can take advantage of this unprecedented brainstorm. The brain changes of adolescence offer both risk and opportunities.
The essence of adolescence include:
- Novelty seeking comes from an increased drive for immediate reward. Yet, Impulsivity can have negative long-term consequences that often escape the adolescent mind. Turning an idea into an action without reflecting on the consequences can do more harm than good.
- Social engagement leads to a greater influence of peers and creating new friendships. When teens are pushing away from adults, they are getting closer to peers. And that can at times trigger risky behaviours.
- Increased emotional intensity gives an enhanced vitality to life. Yet intense emotions can also rule the day. Impulsivity, moodiness, and reactivity make it difficult for teens to find mental balance.
- Creative exploration starts with the adolescent’s new conceptual thinking and abstract reasoning. This often leads to better problem-solving due to a natural ability to “think outside the box”. The downside is that soul searching can cast a shadow of doubts. An identity crisis and vulnerability to peer pressure can lead to a lack of direction and purpose.
Why all this brainstorm is happening in teens? To prepare them for leaving the nest and go on their own path.
Finding a way for teens to harness this brainstorm to thrive requires them to:
- Get crystal clarity of their identity, who they truly are what’s their purpose.
- Learn to manage their emotions and develop social intelligence and resilience.
- Design their own unique authentic strategies, those that will work for them.
Doing his on their own is not an easy task. As a parent you can help them find their own answers, or give them the means to find their own answers…
This is the greatest gift you can give your teen to tap into the opportunity of adolescence.
In Nutshell:
To unlock the opportunities of adolescence, focus on clarifying your identity, develop emotional intelligence and resilience skills that will allow you to create your authentic strategies and move closer to your dreams.
My name is Olivier Becherel and I am Mentor and Coach. I am the co-founder of Mastery to Success and we specialise in helping teens gain clarity, confidence and certainty on their path forward in life. Our clients come to us because we have over 15 years of experience of Life coaching and mentoring young adults. We have assisted hundreds of clients develop resilience and gain clarity and confidence on their unique path forward in life.
So, if you are looking for a Mentor and Coach to help your teenage son or daughter get a clear direction in life get in touch with us and let’s have a chat and see if I can help you. Request your complimentary 60-minute session now.
