True change must come from within. Teens must recognize self destructive patterns, their own thoughts about things that happen to them, and how they respond. By helping teens understand and control their thoughts about themselves and their world, they can access their own ability, capacity, and strength and bring about the changes they want in their own lives.
Awareness and mindfulness come in small steps. Learning how mixed-up thinking can impact feelings and then behaviors is a process. Cognitive awareness is, in essence, thinking about thinking. Being mindful is not the same as trying to control emotions. By identifying and interrupting problematic thinking, self-talk like “I have to be perfect,” “I am unlovable,” and “I can’t succeed,” people can begin to see how it has impacted their emotions and behaviors.
It is important to distinguish between thoughts and emotions. By learning what physical sensations accompany underlying emotions, students can begin to choose more helpful, adaptive thoughts. This in turn can interrupt negative emotions. Being mindful and nonjudgmental of our emotions is an important tool to regulate their intensity.