TEENS: In the past three years, starting with the pandemic continuing to this day, we've received a large volume of letters from teenagers and young adults regarding the topic of anxiety.

Many young people, including teenagers, find themselves battling panic attacks and anxiety due to myriad reasons. Fortunately, there are some strategies and realities that can help adjust an individual's mindset in some cases to achieve positive results in this area.

Here are some excellent suggestions, axioms and realities that the Mayo Clinic provides on this topic:

— Anxiety driven by a big life event looming in the near future is actually normal and can be beneficial. This is due to increased alertness and the desire to succeed and perform well. Many athletes, musicians and businesspeople learn to channel their anxiety into an extra spark that can help them succeed at their endeavors.

— When suffering from a particularly chronic form of anxiety, however, seek out a trusted friend or relative to discuss your problem or challenge. Simply sharing your burden often lightens anxiety and helps you to understand the limitations that you face. Sometimes, talking with others about your fears and concerns regarding a large challenge in your life can bring about a needed dose of reality that often creates an extremely calming effect to an anxious individual.

— When anxious, seek to exercise regularly, as physical exertion and exercise can often be relaxing and help encourage good sleep patterns. Getting enough rest and proper sleep helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

— When battling bouts of anxiety, take regular breaks to do something you truly enjoy. Pleasant activities like listening to music and watching funny video clips or movies can help refocus your mind and relax your subconscious.

— Remember to eat properly, as good nutrition is an actual buffer against anxiety. Also, cut down on substances like caffeine and alcohol, as they often can worsen anxiety for some individuals.

— Take time to plan your schedule and be careful not to overload any particular day or week. Trying to achieve an unrealistic amount of accomplishments within a single day can exacerbate anxiety. Instead, break large tasks down into step-by-step segments to give yourself enough time to complete them. Regularly making incremental progress on an important project can greatly boost confidence and helps to reduce anxiety.

— Seek to avoid isolation when feeling anxious. Scope out opportunities to help others by participating in volunteer work or assisting a friend or neighbor with a project they are working on. The dialogue and camaraderie created during the act of actively helping others is quite therapeutic.

— After trying some or all of these suggestions, if none of them helps you to feel incrementally calm or less anxious, consider discussing your situation with your family doctor, who may refer you to a licensed psychotherapist.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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