How We Cope With Anxiety & Stress | MTV's Teen Code

Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety and stress are common experiences. They can show up as overwork, worry about social interactions, fear of failure, or intense physical symptoms. Difficult days are part of life, and struggling does not mean someone is alone or “crazy.”

Strategies and Takeaways

• Channel stressful energy into something creative. Paint, make music, or create videos to express difficult feelings.
• Talk to someone and seek help. Build a support network, ask people around you for help, and consider therapy. The speakers emphasize that therapy is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.
• Treat anxiety as one part of you, not your whole identity. One speaker says that understanding their anxiety better helped them recognize that “anxiety’s not me, but it’s a part of me.”
• Make time for basic self-care. Shower, brush your teeth, exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep.
• Slow down and recharge. Take a day to focus on yourself, do something soothing, or spend time alone when you need it. Examples include using a face mask, listening to music, or getting a massage.
• Use exercise to ease stress. Speakers say working out can improve their mood, release tension, and provide a focus other than current worries. One describes punching a bag after a breakup rather than taking their feelings out on others.
• Practice empathy and pause before reacting. Try to understand why something matters to another person, even if it seems minor to you. Listening and replying thoughtfully can help relationships and community.
• Be patient with yourself. It is normal not to feel good every day, and self-care can look different for different people.

Presenters and Sources

The speakers are unnamed young people and young adult interviewees featured in MTV’s Teen Code. Beyoncé, Solange, and the Knowles family are mentioned by interviewees as examples associated with self-care. One speaker also refers to advice from their father.