Healthy Coping Skills for Teens — Talkspace

The teenage years can feel like a constant balancing act. Teens have to juggle academic pressures, family expectations, pressure to choose a career path, and the need to develop a personal sense of identity all at the same time. The dynamic between teenagers and emotions can be complicated, so it’s no surprise that stress and emotional struggles are so common in adolescents. In fact, recent research shows a rising number of teens with anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. That’s why it’s more important than ever to find ways to help teens with their mental health, so they feel more balanced and resilient in the long run.

One of the most effective ways to support teens is by helping them develop healthy coping skills. Coping skills are tools that can empower teens to manage overwhelming feelings, handle stress, and navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and resilience. Learning these skills during adolescence doesn’t just make tough days easier; it builds the foundation for emotional intelligence, positive decision-making, and long-term mental health. Strong coping mechanisms are also linked to better academic performance, stronger relationships, and improved self-esteem, giving teens an essential edge as they grow into adulthood.

In this guide, we’ll explore a list of coping skills for teens that are practical, approachable, and easy to incorporate into daily life.

Effective Coping Skills for Teens

Healthy coping skills don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Here are 10 simple, teen-friendly strategies that can make a big difference in how adolescents handle stress, emotions, and everyday challenges. 

1. Practicing deep breathing and mindfulness

Deep breathing and mindfulness practices can help teens feel more present in the moment, slow racing thoughts, and ease the physical symptoms of anxiety. 

Deep breathing

Deep breathing involves breathing in slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise as your lungs fill with air, then breathing out slowly through your mouth. When you let your belly rise with each breath instead of your chest, it uses your diaphragm (the breathing muscle that sits between your chest and abdomen). Deep breathing helps to bring more oxygen into your blood to help lower your heart rate and blood pressure and relax your muscles. A 2025 study specifically found that deep breathing exercises can help improve signs of stress in children and teens. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what’s happening in the moment without judging it as good or bad. It means noticing your thoughts, feelings, body, and surroundings, and letting them be, instead of trying to change or avoid them. Mindfulness can help you feel calmer, more focused, and less overwhelmed by stress. 

Teens can learn deep breathing or mindfulness exercises at school or from a therapist. Several apps can also help teens start using these techniques anytime, anywhere. Teens may consider using these healthy coping strategies before a big test, before or after an argument breaks out, or whenever things start to feel overwhelming. Just a few minutes a day can help teens feel more in control of their emotional and physical reactions to stress. 

2. Journaling emotions and experiences

Journaling involves writing down your thoughts and feelings. Journaling for mental health can be a powerful coping strategy for teens, helping them manage stress and better understand themselves. This practice offers teens a private space to express all of their exciting, stressful, or painful feelings. 

When teens keep a regular journal, it can help them see patterns in their emotions, recognize what can trigger certain feelings, and what coping strategies may help. Journaling encourages positive self-talk and can help teenagers challenge negative thoughts, which can boost mood and self-esteem.

A journal can be whatever feels most comfortable to you — a physical notebook, a note on a phone, or a Word document on the computer. No matter what type of journal, consistency is key. Just a few minutes of honest reflection each day can make a big difference for kids at any age. 

3. Engaging in regular physical activity

Physical activity isn’t just good for your body; it’s also a powerful tool for regulating your mental health. Regularly moving your body can help improve brain function, focus, and even academic performance. Additionally, exercise can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

There isn’t just one right way to get moving. Some teens love organized sports like soccer, basketball, or swimming, while others might prefer activities like dancing, hiking, or biking. Some exercises, like yoga or tai chi, can also help teens practice mindfulness at the same time. Walking the dog, joining a local fitness class, or just playing outside with friends all count, too. 

The key is to find something you enjoy. When movement feels fun, it’s much easier to stick with it and make it part of your everyday routine.

4. Building a support network

A solid support network helps teens feel less alone when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Trusted friends, family members, and mentors can help teens talk it out so they feel understood and secure. Sometimes, just saying your worries out loud to someone you trust can make a problem feel a little smaller.

There are many ways to lean on your support system. It might mean texting a friend when you’re having a rough day, asking a parent or sibling to hang out when you need a break, or checking in with a favorite teacher or coach. Joining a club, sports team, or hobby group can also open the door to new friendships and connections.

5. Setting healthy boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries is an important coping skill for teens. Boundaries are the limits you set to protect your time, energy, and emotional well-being. They help you say no when something doesn’t feel right and make space for the things that really matter to you.

Enforcing a boundary might mean turning down plans when you need time to recharge, stepping back from a one-sided friendship, or setting limits on how much time you spend online. Learning to set boundaries takes practice, but it’s a powerful way for teenagers to take care of their mental health and ensure they aren’t stretched too thin.

6. Exploring creative outlets

Creativity isn’t just about making art, it can also be a powerful coping skill for teens to help work through emotions, express themselves, and feel connected to others. Creative outlets give teens room to express feelings that may be hard to put into words. 

Studies show that engaging in the arts can support mental health by encouraging self-expression, building a sense of community, and strengthening cultural identity. For teens facing stress and anxiety, these activities can bring joy, calm, and a sense of accomplishment.

Teen-friendly creative outlets may include:

• Drawing, doodling, or painting
• Making digital art
• Creating writing or poetry
• Playing an instrument or writing songs
• Singing
• Dancing
• Photography
• Making short videos or movies
• Crafting 
• Participating in a play

7. Practicing positive self-talk

Positive self-talk is the practice of using encouraging, helpful, and compassionate statements when talking to yourself, especially in challenging moments. When used as a coping skill for teens, encouraging and affirming language can boost self-esteem and improve emotional well-being.

Positive self-talk doesn’t mean ignoring tough feelings or pretending everything is perfect. It’s about challenging harsh inner thoughts and replacing them with affirmations or kinder, more compassionate messages. For example, instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” you might try saying, “This is hard, but I can take it one step at a time.” 

8. Limiting social media use

Social media can help teenagers stay connected to the world around them. However, a teen’s mental health can take a hit when they spend too much time online. Teens may use social media as a way to cope with negative emotions, but research shows that social media doesn’t do a good job of helping adolescents regulate their emotions at all. Additionally, those struggling with teen depression may be more likely to spend more time on social media.

“Social media offers us a glamorized and romanticised perspective; and for a developing pre-frontal cortex, a constant feed of media can truly complicate how teens integrate and guide behaviors and choices. Boundaries are critical for preserving and protecting our youth from too much exposure that can harm their ability to distinguish what is actually needed for social relevance, capital, and standing. Instead, less is more- allowing a young mind to lean more into experience versus an idealized and sometimes distorted image of reality.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C

While quitting social media isn’t always realistic or necessary, making a few thoughtful changes can promote healthier habits and reduce emotional strain.

Here are some simple ways to support more mindful social media use and protect against the effects of social media on teens:

• Set daily screen time limits using built-in phone tools or third-party apps
• Designate screen-free zones, like at the dinner table or before bed
• Encourage a digital detox when social media starts to feel overwhelming
• Curate feeds by following positive, uplifting accounts
• Unfollow or mute accounts that cause stress, comparison, or negativity
• Have open conversations about how social media affects mood and self-esteem

With a few small adjustments, teens can use social media in ways that support their well-being, rather than drain it.

9. Developing problem-solving skills

When teens feel overwhelmed by a problem, it’s easy to get stuck or shut down. Teaching them how to break challenges into smaller, more manageable steps is an essential coping skill for helping them feel more in control. Essential problem-solving skills include naming the problem, brainstorming solutions, weighing the pros and cons of each solution, and tackling the problem one step at a time. 

10. Seeking professional help when needed

Sometimes, stress or emotional struggles can feel too big for teenagers to handle alone. Therapy and counseling are healthy, normal ways for teens to get support when they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or down. Talking to a counselor can help teens learn coping skills, process tough emotions, and gain new perspectives on their challenges. 

“Counseling on any level gives our youth a chance to ask questions safely. This critical step is one that firmly encourages the notion that connecting to support is more than ok; it breaks down antiquated ideas like ‘keep it to yourself,’ ‘deal with it on your own,’ or ‘don’t express.’ Counseling builds resilience by offering the tenacity to build strength instead with support and by increasing emotional fluency.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C

When teens reach out for help, it can make a big difference, giving teens the tools they can use for life. Whether it’s through a school counselor, therapist, or online support, professional help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Moving Forward: Helping Teens Build Resilience

Coping skills aren’t something teens master overnight. This list of coping skills for teens takes practice, patience, and support to be most effective. It’s important for teens (and the adults around them) to remember that struggling with emotions or stress is completely normal, and reaching out for help is a healthy part of growing up. 

Talkspace offers effective types of therapy for teens from a phone or computer. Talkspace can partner your teen with a licensed therapist who can help them build skills that last well into adulthood. Whether you’re looking for online therapy for teens or support with parenting a teenager, explore options with Talkspace today. 

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