The Resilient Teen: 10 Key Skills to Bounce Back from Setbacks and Turn Stress into Success

by Sheela Raja PhD

Overview

“Well researched and up to date, including the acknowledgement of teens’ struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic.... Belongs on every young adult’s bookshelf.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

10 powerful skills to help you manage stress, bounce back from difficult situations, and rewire your brain for happiness and success!

Being a teen today is stressful. That’s why you need real tools to help you cope with all of life’s challenges—from small stressors like homework, social media, and dating to serious trauma resulting from bullying, school shootings, violence, and now—pandemics. The key to dealing with all of these difficult events is resilience—the ability to recover from setbacks or trauma, and forge ahead with emotional strength. The best thing about resilience is that it can be learned. This book will help you learn how to be resilient, so you can weather life’s storms and reach your goals.

In The Resilient Teen, psychologist, teen expert, and trauma specialist Sheela Raja offers ten skills grounded in key principles from psychology and neuroscience to help you manage difficult emotions, recover from difficult situations, and cultivate a sense of joy—even in the face of setbacks and modern-day stressors. You’ll learn essential strategies for self-care, how to establish a healthy lifestyle, and how to set limits on technology. You’ll also discover how mindfulness can help you deal with stress and challenging emotions in the moment, tips for building better relationships with family and friends, and tools for dealing with disappointment.

Most importantly, this book will show you how to increase your own sense of joy, purpose, and meaning—even when things seem less than awesome.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684035786
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Series:	Instant Help Solutions Series
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	364,211
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Sheela Raja, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed postdoctoral training at the National Center for PTSD, and is a nationally recognized expert on the health effects of trauma and trauma-informed health care approaches. Her other books include Overcoming Trauma and PTSD, The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens, and The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Caring for Your Physical Health

Skill 1 Finding a Routine: Sleep, Diet, Exercise, and Technology 13

Skill 2 Face Unhealthy Habits 27

Part II Caring for Your Mental and Emotional Health

Skill 3 Mindfulness: Calming Your Mind and Body 39

Skill 4 Tolerating Difficult Emotions Without Becoming Overwhelmed 57

Skill 5 Learning from the Past by Transforming Shame 71

Skill 6 Managing Depression and Anxiety 87

Part III Engaging with the World Around You Every Day

Skill 7 Creating Safe Connections 103

Skill 8 Active Coping for Taking Healthy Chances 121

Part IV Finding Meaning, Joy, and Purpose

Skill 9 Cognitive Flexibility and Realistic Optimism 137

Skill 10 Finding Meaning and Purpose 153

Closing 169

Acknowledgments 171

Resources 173

References 175

Interviews

Raja resides in Oak Park, IL.

Editorial Reviews

Sheela Raja has written an important book that helps teens develop critical skills toward holistic emotional wellness. Raja offers clear definitions, relatable examples, and practical advice and strategies. Psychotherapists, youth workers, and teachers can use this as a guide in their work with individual teens and groups. I can see parents and teens using this book to foster rich mealtime dialogue while learning together.”
—Cynthia Lubin Langtiw, PsyD, professor in the clinical PsyD program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus

Cynthia Lubin Langtiw

Sheela Raja has crafted a timely, practical, and substantive resource—not only for teens who are experiencing distress and adversity, but also for those who are seeking emotional well-being skills. It is developmentally appropriate, accessible, engaging, and beautifully written. Parents and professionals looking for an exceptional resource to promote resilience and adaptive functioning in teens will be thrilled with Raja’s latest offering—arguably her best book to date.”
—Matt Gray, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Wyoming, trained at the National Center for PTSD, specializing in trauma

Matt Gray

This book is a gift to youth and for youth during a precarious time. When thoughts, emotions, and body sensations are in flux, a compassionate and stabilizing voice can ring like a bell of clarity to reach and heal the hurt. Speaking directly to teens and young adults, Raja provides practical skills to navigate the world, build resilience, and grow to lead a meaningful life. A pragmatic and insightful read!”
—Roxana Cruz, MD, FACP, director of medical and clinical affairs at the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, working with underserved and vulnerable populations

Roxana Cruz

Sheela Raja writes with brilliant simplicity. The Resilient Teen is relatable and provides the reader with practical, manageable, and realistic steps. Raja joins with the reader in ways that promote individual hope and universal compassion. The message is loud and clear: being resilient is possible and The Resilient Teen lets us know how.”
—Susan A. Green, LCSW, clinical professor, and codirector of The Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work

Susan A. Green

If you’re a teenager facing challenges of any kind, do a kind thing for yourself and download this book. Raja guides you toward bouncing back by asking gentle yet thought-provoking questions. The great mix of stories, science, and bite-sized, actionable steps makes it a nourishing read. But, as a longtime college counselor, I love that while you learn more about becoming resilient, you’ll also learn more about yourself.”
—Arun Poonusamy, chief academic officer of Collegewise, and host of the Get Wise podcast

Arun Poonusamy

Using research and engaging stories, The Resilient Teen offers relevant, straightforward information about physical and emotional health. It provides practical guidance for managing sleep, stress, and difficult emotions, and tips for developing mindfulness, healthy habits, and social connections. The chapter on cognitive flexibility and realistic optimism, skills that can help transform difficult situations and lead to growth after hardship, make this book especially valuable and timely (for both adults and teens).”
—Brigid McCaw, MD, MS, MPH, clinical advisor for California Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Aware Initiative, and medical director (retired) at Kaiser Permanente Family Violence Prevention Program

Brigid McCaw

Today’s teens need resilience now more than ever. As everyone is grappling with questions about social justice and issues of public health, once again, Raja creates a clear, compassionate, and actionable plan for the adolescent. The Resilient Teen is filled with practical tips and tools to which teenagers will readily be able to relate. By normalizing the existence of stressors for everyone, Raja promotes thoughtful ideas for improved well-being and enhanced resilience. So logical and empathetic in her approach, Raja again demonstrates why she is a leader in the field of teen trauma and resilience. These will be valuable life lessons for the reader to take into adulthood!”
—Shairi R. Turner, MD, MPH, chief transformation officer at Crisis Text Line; and CEO of Shairi Turner MD Coaching and Consulting, LLC

Shairi R. Turner

★ 2021-03-25
A primer on fostering adaptability in the face of stress.

As stated in the introduction, resilience is not a fixed end goal but a way of approaching life. The author divides the book into four parts, focusing on key skills for each. The first section centers building and maintaining a healthy physical routine in terms of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and technology. Raja acknowledges that many young people engage in experimentation with drugs and alcohol, offering safety guidelines and reminding readers that they are not good coping strategies. The next part deals with mental and emotional health, presenting the benefits of mindfulness practices such as those that increase emotional tolerance. The third section highlights social engagement through establishing a strong support system and taking the kinds of healthy risks that build resilience. Lastly, Raja discusses finding meaning and purpose through practices like cognitive flexibility, realistic optimism, volunteering, and activism. Each chapter includes dictionary definitions of key terms, stories about teens dealing with different types of obstacles, and specific exercises and checklists, ending with a summary of material covered. The author’s voice is practical and realistic, providing encouraging explanations and suggestions; a recurring message is to be kind to oneself. The information provided is well researched and up to date, including the acknowledgement of teens’ struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic. A welcome section addresses the impact of societal prejudice.

Belongs on every young adult’s bookshelf. (resources, references) (Nonfiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews