Teenage Emotions

Teenage Emotions

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KidsHealth /
For Teens /
Understanding Your Emotions

Reviewed by: KidsHealth Behavioral Health Experts

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Reviewed by: KidsHealth Behavioral Health Experts

5 Ways to Know Your Feelings Better

Understanding Other People

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3 Ways to Increase Positive Emotions

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Emotional Intelligence

/content/kidshealth/misc/medicalcodes/teens/articles/understand-emotions

What are you feeling, right now, as you start to read this? Are you curious? Hopeful that you'll learn something about yourself? Bored because this is something you have to do for school and you're not really into it — or happy because it's a school project you enjoy? Perhaps you're distracted by something else, like feeling excited about your weekend plans or sad because you just went through a breakup.
Emotions like these are part of human nature. They give us information about what we're experiencing and help us know how to react.
We sense our emotions from the time we're babies. Infants and young children react to their emotions with facial expressions or with actions like laughing, cuddling, or crying. They feel and show emotions, but they don't yet have the ability to name the emotion or say why they feel that way.
As we grow up, we become more skilled in understanding emotions. Instead of just reacting like little kids do, we can identify what we feel and put it into words. With time and practice, we get better at knowing what we are feeling and why. This skill is called emotional awareness .
Emotional awareness helps us know what we need and want (or don't want!). It helps us build better relationships. That's because being aware of our emotions can help us talk about feelings more clearly, avoid or resolve conflicts better, and move past difficult feelings more easily.
Some people are naturally more in touch with their emotions than others. The good news is, everyone can be more aware of their emotions. It just takes practice. But it's worth the effort: Emotional awareness is the first step toward building emotional intelligence, a skill that can help people succeed in life.
Here are a few basic things about emotions:
Some emotions feel positive — like feeling happy, loving, confident, inspired, cheerful, interested, grateful, or included. Other emotions can seem more negative — like feeling angry, resentful, afraid, ashamed, guilty, sad, or worried. Both positive and negative emotions are normal.
All emotions tell us something about ourselves and our situation. But sometimes we find it hard to accept what we feel. We might judge ourselves for feeling a certain way, like if we feel jealous, for example. But instead of thinking we shouldn't feel that way, it's better to notice how we actually feel.
Avoiding negative feelings or pretending we don't feel the way we do can backfire. It's harder to move past difficult feelings and allow them to fade if we don't face them and try to understand why we feel that way. You don't have to dwell on your emotions or constantly talk about how you feel. Emotional awareness simply means recognizing, respecting, and accepting your feelings as they happen.
Emotional awareness helps us know and accept ourselves. So how can you become more aware of your emotions? Start with these three simple steps:
Just like anything else in life, when it comes to emotions, practice makes perfect! Remind yourself there are no good or bad emotions. Don't judge your feelings — just keep noticing and naming them.
Note: All information on KidsHealth® is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2022 The Nemours Foundation. Nemours Children's Health® and KidsHealth® are registered trademarks of The Nemours Foundation. All rights reserved.
Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.

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Social and emotional changes in teens

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Social and emotional changes in teens

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This fact sheet is part of the Teen talk: a survival guide for parents of teenagers series.
For teens' social and emotional growth, there are two major developmental tasks:
These two tasks are intertwined and interdependent.
As teens grow and change emotionally, they typically spend more time with peers and less with parents and family. Teens often give priority to being with their peers instead of parents and family.
Young teens and pre-teens, age 11 to 13, try to find a circle of friends where they are accepted and fit in. Friends at this age are usually the same gender. Because teens are maturing on different timelines, young teens may seek out those who are at similar maturity levels. Parents might be surprised when a teen is no longer close to a longtime childhood friend.
As teens move into middle adolescence, age 14 to 16, they become more tolerant of different interests and opinions. They begin to worry less about approval from peers. They may also develop friendships with the opposite sex.
In later adolescence, age 17 to early 20s, teens tend to have a variety of friends. They may have a few close friendships and begin romantic relationships.
Awareness of their own emotions occurs as teens begin to identify and name those emotions. Teens start to become more socially aware, recognizing emotions in those around them. This is the start of developing empathy for others. For example, a teen might begin to notice how each of their friends reacts a little differently to the same situation.
Teens also begin to manage their emotions. In psychological terms, this is called “emotional regulation.” Teens start to step back and think about their emotions before reacting. For example, instead of immediately showing anger over a friend's action, a maturing teen will first consider:
This process is an important step in learning to interact and get along with peers, as well as making and keeping friends.
Here's what you, as a parent, can do to help your teen handle emotions and friendships:
CYFC partnered with the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health (MACMH) to host a Research to Practice training series at the annual Child and Mental Health Conference. This series featured University of Minnesota faculty and staff and provided an in-depth review of basic and applied research, best practices, and translation of research to practice and policy. These events offered advanced training for experienced professionals with an opportunity to participate in a full day of learning and interaction. The following resources were taken from Managing Emotions in Teens: Responding Dysregulation and Challenging Behaviors event.
Learn about neurobiological stress, coping and self-care for youth, and creating positive and relationships that help youth regulate.
The Teen Years Explained — Clea McNeely, PhD and Jayne Blanchard — This e-book can help both teens and adults to understand developmental changes and tips for how to apply this knowledge to your everyday life.
Colleen Gengler, Extension educator emerita in family relations
Reviewed by Jodi Dworkin, Extension specialist and associate professor in Family Social Science
University of Minnesota Extension discovers science-based solutions, delivers practical education, and engages Minnesotans to build a better future.
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Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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