Inside: Find out why are teenagers more susceptible to changing emotions.
Being a teenager is hard. I know as adults we can sometimes forget that…especially when the teens in our lives are driving us nuts. Obviously, things change as we grow up, and adult life is very different from teen life.
If your teen is currently struggling with mood swings, then you could be curious as to where it’s coming from. Well, you are in the right place!
Today we are going to discuss why are teenagers more susceptible to changing emotions, as well as some tips to help them remain calm and empathetic through this turbulent time.
While going through these, I recommend thinking back to your experiences as a teenager. It can be so helpful to be able to draw from your own experiences when learning how to help your own child. Plus it’s very interesting to be able to look back from the perspective of adult you, with some answers as to why you were feeling the way you were feeling and going through the things that you were.
So let’s jump into this!
1. Hormones
Hormones, we’ve heard of them before. These guys are one of the main answers to the question: why are teenagers more susceptible to changing emotions? As we grow from a child into a teen there are some huge changes that go on, and not just on the outside. Internally, your teen’s hormones are running a muck.
It is in a constant state of fluctuation, which helps your child grow and go through puberty. But, the downside is that this unstable state can have a severe impact on the consistency of their emotions. Things that may not feel like a big deal to you, can feel exponentially more intense during this time for them.
Some very common emotions teens feel are increased sadness, frustration, and intense irritability.
This will balance out eventually, so just know that it is normal. You just have to stick through it until it does. Remember, however frustrating and annoying it is for you to deal with, it’s even worse for your teen. I know, this can be hard to imagine because they are putting YOU through it. But would you rather be dealing with it externally(with their emotions) or internally(with your own emotions).
This is why we are so happy we aren’t teens anymore when looking back, it was hard!
2. Changes
Being a teen is basically synonymous with change. And change can be extremely uncomfortable which is why your teenagers are more susceptible to changing emotions. We all spend most of our adult lives fearing it, whether it be in the form of getting fired, starting a diet, or having to move. In reality, change is necessary for growth…it helps us to learn and become better versions of ourselves…but that does not make it any easier.
Now imagine you are new to this world(which teens are in the grand scheme of things), and you suddenly enter this period of extreme shifts.
Not only does their internal world change with their hormones and bodies as they go through puberty, but their external one does too. And these changes can lead to unexpected emotions.
Take a look at this list of just SOME of the things that change while you are a teen. These can help you maintain empathy for your child, even when they can be a jerk!
- Hormones
- Bodily Changes
- Growing Pains
- New School Environment
- New Responsibilities
- New Emotions
- Changing relationships
3. Stress
When you are a teen and all of your hormones are out of wack and causing havoc, stressors no matter how big or small can have a huge impact on your emotions. It can be hard to imagine this as an adult, but you were once a teen too! You can think that you weren’t as bad…but chances are you probably were.
Something as simple as an upcoming deadline, or stubbing your toe can set you off when you are in this fragile state. Take a moment now to think back to when you were a teen…what were some things that would stress you out then that current you would scoff at? This can help to put it into perspective.
4. Independence
Suddenly, your child has access to all of this new freedom. They get to go to high school, which is more laid back than middle school.
They get to stay home alone, do homework alone, choose their own clothes, and find their own friends. This is one of the big reasons why are teenagers more susceptible to changing emotions… Because we all know when we are young, the friends we have was always due to sheer proximity.
They have to learn where the lines are, and that means that sometimes they will cross them. It’s a hard time because although you want them to be safe they also need to learn to take care of themselves so they can be self-sufficient adults when the time comes.
5. Social Stress
This one may seem silly, but need I remind you that you are safely on the other side of all of these extreme shifts and hormone changes?
Teens are now in high school, which is a huge pool of new social experiences.
Teens can feel isolated, scared, nervous, and can experience severe social anxiety every time they walk into those doors. Wondering whether or not they will make any friends, if they’ll mess up when doing a presentation, etc.
Worst of all is if they are in a friend group, and there is drama going on. The only thing worse than one teenager with changing hormones is a whole group of them.
6. New Experiences
When you are a teen, basically everything is new to you. They aren’t small children anymore, and this new freedom is essentially a whole uncharted world just waiting to be explored.
Obviously, new experiences is one of the reasons why are teenagers more susceptible to changing emotions – these can be extremely stimulating to a person regardless of age. But when you are a teen and you are in a constant state of new things, it only makes sense that your mood would be irregular. You never know how something is going to make you feel!
This combined with everything above can prove to be extremely tiresome at times. There are going to be moments when they are extremely happy, and then this will be followed by extreme sadness or anxiety. This is just what it is to be a teen.
7. Identity
As you grow older, you start to cultivate your own identity. This can be a very confusing thing to do, and so your teen will experiment with different ways to figure out how to be their own person.
This is all mainly unconscious of course, and sadly it can result in them getting snappy or sassy with you out of the blue.
This can also fill them with stress, anxiety, fear, and loneliness. The road to adulthood is not an easy one!
I hope that you found this helpful and that you have a newfound appreciation for your settled hormones. Teen hood is hard, despite having significantly fewer responsibilities. Really when you consider all of the factors, it’s just as hard as being an adult. There are just different challenges to overcome!
There are many ways that you can soothe your teen’s big emotions, but one of my favorite ways is to find something that they can relate to and connect to.
Things like movies, quotes, and even journaling can truly help out with these interesting times!
I am Natalie, the eldest sister of two teens. I hope to bring not only a fresh outer perspective but an internal one as well when writing here.
Wow it was very nice! I have enjoyed reading!