Effective coping skills are critical for the competitive, work-obsessed nature of a Type-A personality to successfully navigate life. Over time, if the Type-A behavior isn’t well-managed, 
stress can affect the individual’s health and lifestyle. For teen girls who exhibit certain personality characteristics, including an inability to relax, a heightened sense of impatience, a drive to over-achieve and proclivity to outbursts of anger, it’s essential to learn effective coping strategies.
Relieving Stress
Teens with Type-A personalities experience a high level of stress, due in part to the severe sense of urgency they continually feel about getting tasks done in time. This constant mental struggle against the clock sometimes makes these teens feel incapable of relaxing. Consequently, it is important for them to learn effective stress-relief techniques. Breathing exercises can help to lessen anxiety and stress, but it can also be helpful to identify activities that bring about calm feelings. For some teens, pets can provide significant stress relief; for others, exercise, gardening or cooking are helpful. Any activity that allows a teen to unwind and let go of stress can be effective for coping with Type-A behavior.
Venting Frustrations
Type-A teens are easily aroused to anger. Some may express their hostility or animosity outwardly, through aggression or even bullying behavior. However, it is just as common for teens to keep their emotions bottled up inside. Helping her find ways to safely release her emotions is critical. For some teen girls, journaling can be a beneficial strategy. Writing about feelings can help young women become aware of triggers to their anger, which allows them to better deal with the emotion. Coping with antagonistic feelings can also involve learning to calmly air grievances and annoyances, allowing her to solve problems before they become overwhelming.
Adjusting Expectations
It is common for teens with Type-A personalities to set unachievable goals or have unreasonable expectations for themselves and for other people. They may also overschedule themselves or take on too many obligations. When delays or other problems interfere, teens become impatient and angry. It is essential that your teen learn to anticipate these emotions and find a way to forestall them. By imagining various outcomes, teens can learn how to adjust their expectations of themselves and others. This can help prepare teens for potential stress reactions and defuse them before they get out of hand.
Type-A behavior can be difficult to manage, but most teens can make lifestyle changes that will help them achieve success. If your daughter’s out-of-control emotions are getting the better of her, contact Havenwood Academy. Residential treatment programs, utilizing experiential therapy and other proven modalities, can help teenagers develop the strategies they need to successfully navigate life. Contact Havenwood today to discuss helping your teen master her own coping skills.
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Eric Allred was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. He grew up on a family farm where he learned the value of work. He graduated from Rigby High School and attended Rick’s College, now known as BYU-Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University, received a master’s degree in organizational behavior and human relations from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. Eric has been involved in Rotary and was president of a local Rotary Club. He enjoys being with his family and doing outdoor activities such as fly fishing.
Chase was very fortunate to start in this industry as a struggling 17 year old kid looking for a mentor and something to be passionate about. Wilderness therapy was Chase’s first stop in this industry and was truly a transcendental experience for him. Chase has an enormous love for this line of work and the power that it has in creating change in everyone involved. Chase’s biggest belief is the power a mentor, strong, healthy relationships, and accountability can have on anyone, especially youth. Taking a very relational approach to his work, Chase has always been very relatable to the students he works with. Being able to understand and relate to a vast variety of the same struggles as a lot of the students he works with has been able to help him continue to grow, learn, and teach. Chase believes that with great rapport and trust, he can use his experience to continue to coach and train new staff, and has the ability to find those staff with the passion for this industry, and help them grow. His love and passion can be felt the moment you talk with Chase about this industry and he passes that on to others he works with. In his spare time you will find Chase cheering for the Eagles, Yankees, and Mavericks, hanging out with his brother, learning more about Eastern Psychology, and continuing to grow and learn.