3 Takeaways about Teens, Stress and Wellness

In the past year I presented to more than 40 psychology classes about hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness.  I also entertained at after prom and all-night graduation parties hosted by nearly 20 schools in the Washington, DC area.  My guess is I’ve hypnotized more than 500 high school students.

This is a whole lot of time spent with teenagers, which afforded me the opportunity to have some interesting and insightful conversations about their views about the world.  Here are three take-aways from those conversations:

1. Kids are super-stressed and, in many instances, it is self-induced.  There is credibility in everything you’ve probably read about teen stress.  I have been consistently caught off guard by the level of anxiety high school students have personally shared with me.  It’s the usual suspects – academics, athletic performance, after school activities and peer relationships.

It is an easy out to blame social media.  My view is that it merely intensifies the real problem.  Like many of us, teenagers create an expectation of perfection.  That pursuit sets a person up for failure and disappointment.  

2. There is a high level of interest in strategies and tools for health.  Rather than accepting stress and anxiety, many of the high school students I have spoken with are proactive in learning about approaches to take ownership of their wellness.  I consistently field thoughtful questions while on campus or at an event.  Readership on this blog ticks up after every one of my on-campus presentations.

     

3. Teens are intrigued about hypnosis -- what it is (and isn’t).  When performing for adults, I often combat long-standing misconceptions about hypnosis.  That’s typically not the case with high school audiences who come to a presentation much more open-minded.  

Hypnosis isn’t the right tool for every student and some are skeptical.  However, often they are willing to listen and consider.  

Here are links to a three-part series of articles with verbatim feedback from students at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD about my presentation on hypnosis for health and wellness:

Teens Talk Hypnosis – the Good, the Bad and the Boring

Teens Talk Hypnosis Part II – the Good, the Bad and the “Interested”

Teens Talk Hypnosis Part III – the Good, the Bad and the “Unfunny”

Teens try hypnosis at Montgomery Blair High School's After Prom party in May 2019.