Advertise on podcast: Anxious Christian Teen | Confidence, Insecurity, Faith, Social Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Anxiety Bible Verses

Hey doll, Ever walk down the hallway and feel like every single head turns? Your hair decided to be frizzy today, you’re not sure you got the right New Balances, and you’re so hot on the inside you might actually catch fire. That feeling of everyone watching you is real. But what’s actually going on is usually not what you think. In this episode, I tell you about the night I walked into a gym with a brand new hairstyle and went from “I’m cute” to “I feel ridiculous” in about two seconds flat. Then I give you one tool for the second that heat starts rising, and three truths that take the power out of the spotlight. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why social anxiety makes it feel like everyone is watching you Flip the Spotlight, a tool you can use in the hallway the moment the heat starts rising Why most people are too worried about themselves to be watching you Why the looking you’re scared of is usually kinder than you think What to do when someone really does say something, and whose approval actually matters Your one step this week: Flip the Spotlight one time. Pick one girl, notice one thing, and if you’re feeling brave, tell her. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow Anxious Christian Teen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 2: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 3: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey mama, Is your teen’s anxiety your fault? If that question has been sitting heavy on your heart, I want you to hear me: no, it’s not. It doesn’t mean you missed something, it doesn’t mean you weren’t there for her, and it doesn’t mean you haven’t raised her to truly trust God. Maybe she’s been quieter lately, snapping at everybody, or falling apart the second she gets in the car. You want to help, but you’re scared of saying the wrong thing. So today I’m giving you a simple way to start that conversation, one that won’t send her running to her room. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why your daughter’s anxiety is not a report card on your parenting The three filters for anything you say to her: simple, short, focused on her How to open the door without a lecture (or a slammed door) Why your story can wait, even if you’ve been there and done that What James 1:5 says about asking for wisdom when you don’t know what to say Your one step this week: pick one low-pressure moment, maybe in the car, and say one simple sentence that opens the door. Then let her walk through it when she’s ready. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow the show so you never miss an episode Mentions: Kristen’s insider email, weekly updates plus tools your daughter can actually use: anxiouschristianteen.com/vip WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 2: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 3: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll! Somebody asks if you’re okay, and before you can even think, it slips right out: “I’m good. I can handle it.” Baby sis, that might be the most expensive sentence you’ll say all year. Today I’ve got my coaching hat on, and I’m calling you out a little bit. That’s because “I can handle it” usually isn’t about being stubborn. It’s about being scared. I’m sharing the time saying it almost put me in the hospital, what pride really has to do with anxiety, and what God’s Word says about asking for help. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “I can handle it” costs you your peace How pride becomes the armor fear puts on The college story that taught me to stop pushing through alone What Proverbs 13:10 says about strife, wisdom, and taking advice Who counts as wise counsel (hint: it doesn’t have to be a coach) Your one step this week: the next time you hear yourself say “I can handle it,” ask one person for help with one small thing. Tuesday’s episode is for your mom, so ask her to listen with you. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow Anxious Christian Teen so you never miss an episode. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 2: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 3: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

How do I tell my mom I’m not okay? Hey doll. There’s something you’ve been meaning to tell your mama. Maybe you’ve almost said it a few times. In the kitchen. On the drive home from practice. Right before she turned off your light. And every single time, you decided later would be better. Telling your mama you’re struggling with anxiety is scary. It means admitting you’re not quite as “fine” as you’ve let her believe. You don’t want her to feel like she did something wrong, you don’t want her to panic, and you definitely don’t want her to brush it off. So you wait for the right time. But here’s the truth, baby sis: the perfect moment to have a difficult conversation doesn’t exist. The best we can do is find the calmest one. This one’s for you and your mama, so listen together or go grab her after. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “later” isn’t really a time, it’s avoidance wearing a costume Why anxiety isn’t something broken in you, it’s something that developed a little too well How to pick the calmest moment for a difficult conversation Your permission slip to practice what you do and don’t want to say A breath prayer to pray right before you walk down the hall to find her Mama, the one thing your girl needs from you when she finally says it (spoiler: it’s not a fix) Your one step this week: Pick your calm moment. You don’t have to do anything but notice when it shows up. Next episode: We’re talking about why “I can handle it” might be the sentence keeping you stuck, and why needing help doesn’t mean you failed. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow Anxious Christian Teen so you never miss an episode, and share this one with a friend who tends to put off her own hard conversations. Mentions: Free script for asking your parents about getting a coach: anxiouschristianteen.com/script WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Is my anxiety bad enough to get help? If you’ve ever asked yourself that, lying in bed replaying your whole day, this one’s for you. Anxiety is everywhere right now. Everybody’s “so anxious” about the test, the game, the group chat. So when your stomach turns, your heart races, and your brain won’t stop picking apart every little thing, it’s easy to decide that’s just normal, and that other girls need help way more than you do. Baby sis, that’s not humility. That’s the anxiety talking. And I know, because in high school I sat across from a school counselor and convinced her I was totally fine. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why anxiety being a buzzword makes it harder to recognize your own The simple test for telling stress from anxiety What my 4-H speaking contest taught me about healthy stress The day I talked my way out of the counselor’s office, and what I was really protecting How to know when a coach is enough, and when it’s time for counseling What 2 Timothy 1:7 says about living in fear Your one step this week: next time something stressful happens, notice what happens after it’s over. If the weight doesn’t lift, tell one safe adult. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow Anxious Christian Teen so you never miss an episode. Mentions: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988 WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll, Have you ever felt like the mean girl just for saying no? I have. I was supposed to be going bowling with a girlfriend, and we ended up meeting up with a couple of other people instead. I felt paranoid the entire time, and when we left, I felt nauseous and gross from head to toe. I knew that wasn’t where I wanted to be, but saying no felt like it would make me seem too goody-goody. Here’s what I want you to hear: a boundary only feels mean when your worth depends on being liked. Boundaries have nothing to do with anyone but you. They’re for your own peace of mind. In this episode, I’m walking you through why boundaries give you guardrails, how they protect your peace, and a simple three-step tool called D-A-C, so you can say no to your friends gently, without the guilt. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why saying no feels mean, and what your worth has to do with it How boundaries give you guardrails when everyone around you is “living it up” How boundaries protect your peace, with Proverbs 4:23 The D-A-C tool: Define, Accountability, Communicate How to gently communicate a change to your friends Your one step this week: Pick one thing you want to say no to, and define it. That’s your D. Just that one. Next up: This Friday, we’re talking about what to say back when your brain gets loud, and how to anchor in truth. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey Mama! “I’m fine.” Two little words, and your daughter can say them with a smile, a good grade in her backpack, and a whole lot going on underneath. If your teen daughter is a high achiever, she hates to admit she’s struggling. It’s a whole lot easier to internalize it than it is to talk about it and try to work on it. She may even be ashamed she can’t control her feelings better, because she’s convinced herself it’s a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. And if you believed her? Of course you did. In this episode, one mom to another, I share what I was doing behind my own closed door when I was the “fine” girl, and three things to do instead of pressing. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - Why “I’m fine” is the easiest thing a high achiever says all day - Why a teen daughter keeps anxiety to herself instead of talking about it - How to respond without adding to the pressure she’s already putting on herself - Why sharing your own story, even with the best intentions, can make her shut down - What listening looks like when she needs either a safe place to word vomit or a quiet place to sit One step this week: The next time she says “I’m fine,” skip the follow-up question. Stay close, stay quiet, and let her show you which way this is going. Next time: On Tuesday, we’re talking about how to set a boundary without feeling like the mean girl. That one’s for her, so pass it along. xo, Kristen Resources and links 🎧 Follow or subscribe to Anxious Christian Teen wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Mentions: - 120 | When Your Teen Daughter Says 'I'm Fine': How to Talk About Anxiety Symptoms Together {IN THE CAR WITH MOM} - 49 | 4 Red Flags You’re in a Toxic Friendship WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll, are you telling God the polite version? You know the one. "God, thank You for today. Please help me with my week. Amen." Nothing wrong with that prayer, but underneath it, there's usually another one. The one you're not saying. And it's not because you don't love God. It's because you've gotten really, really good at looking fine. Here's what I want you to hear: He already knows the real one. He's not waiting for you to get it cleaned up. He's waiting for you to say it. In this episode, we're talking about why you can read every anxiety verse out there and still feel stuck. God gave us an instruction manual for everything we'll ever face, but reading it without being open with Him is just going through the motions. I'm sharing a moment from my own teen years, when I sat on a church pew with my stomach in knots, and we're walking through how to express the real thing to God.  What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why the polite version of your prayer keeps the real feeling unnamed Why reading anxiety verses alone can leave you stuck Why you don't have to fix yourself before you take it to God What 1 Peter 5:7 means when it says to cast all your anxieties on Him Why you don't have to know the root of your anxiety to start, only be willing to name what you're thinking and feeling How to ask God for clarity and for the fear at the root to go, even if you can't name it yet One step this week: Say the real sentence to God, out loud or in your head, and don't edit it: "What I'm actually scared of is ______." Then ask Him for clarity and for the fear to go. Messy counts. Next up: On Friday, let your mom know it's for her. Then I'll meet you back here next Tuesday to talk about how to set a boundary without feeling like a mean girl. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. The Ask Your Mom script (free): anxiouschristianteen.com/script WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey y’all! This one is for both of you, so go ahead and put it on speaker. The back door opens. A backpack hits the floorboard. The seat belt clicks. “How was your day?” “Fine.” And that’s the whole conversation. Here’s the thing, mama: “how was your day” may be the worst question to ask your daughter. Not because you’re a bad mom. Because it’s easy, it’s safe, and a safe question gets you a safe answer. And doll, you’re in this one too, because a lot of the time “fine” is just what’s left after a long day, before you’ve had a minute to sort any of it. If you’ve been looking for better questions to ask your teenage daughter, this episode is practical and ready to use at your next pickup: four questions that can’t be answered with a yes, a no, or a grunt, a few minutes of settling before you ask, and what to do when she actually answers. Because a less expected question means being ready to listen. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “how was your day” is the easy, safe question, and why that’s the whole problem Four questions that can’t be answered with a yes, a no, or a grunt Tell me something that made you laugh today. Tell me about something you tried today, big or small, even if it didn’t go great. What’s one thing you learned today that you think I don’t know? What was something kind someone said to you, or something kind you said to someone else? Why “nothing in particular, it was a normal day” is an answer worth celebrating When to ask: after she’s had a few minutes to settle, but before you’re pulling into the driveway What “process and support” really means: opening a door and listening, with no advice unless she asks Doll, why you don’t have to spill your guts to tell your mama about your day Your one step this week: Mom, pick one of the four questions and ask it at your next pickup. Doll, if you need a few minutes to settle, say so, then answer whichever question you get, in your own words. Friday’s episode is yours, doll: how easy it is to tell God the polite version of what’s going on, and what changes when you tell Him the real one. xo, Kristen 🎧 Hit follow so the next one shows up in your feed, and send this one to a friend who’s tired of hearing “fine.” WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll, you finally like someone, or someone likes you, and instead of feeling giddy, you're anxious all the time? Overthinking every text, reading into every silence, bracing for it to fall apart before it's even started? You're not clingy, and you're not "too much." Your anxiety just climbed into the driver's seat of something good. In this episode we talk about why dating anxiety spirals, one tool to stop it mid-scroll, and three truths that let you enjoy liking someone instead of just surviving it. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why liking someone can make your anxiety louder, not quieter The spiral that turns a slow text into a worst-case story The "Real or Likely?" tool to stop overthinking in the moment Why reassurance-seeking backfires, and what to do instead How to date without editing yourself down to keep someone interested This week, your one brave thing: the next time your brain spirals over a text, run it through Real or Likely? before you send anything, then let the silence just be silence. His response time is not a verdict on your worth, doll. That was settled by God a long time ago. xo, Kristen 🎧 If this hit home, follow/subscribe so the next episode finds you too. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll, You know that voice that finds the one flaw in every good thing? The comment you replay, the missed shot instead of the ones you made, the invite that feels more like being squeezed in than actually wanted? That’s your inner critic, and today we’re talking about why it never actually clocks out. Here’s what I wish someone had told me as a teen: that voice isn’t cruel for no reason, it’s running an audit. It’s grading everything you do against a bar that keeps moving, which means you can do everything right and it still finds something to dock you for. I know that audit inside and out. No matter how many free throws I made, my brain replayed the ones I missed. No matter how included I was, part of me felt like an afterthought. So today we’re not trying to out-perform the critic. We’re talking about anchoring yourself in something it can’t touch. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - Why your inner critic isn’t being cruel, it’s auditing your performance - Why trying harder never actually quiets it down - What Hebrews 6:19-20 means by calling hope an anchor for the soul - The one question to ask instead of arguing back with the critic - Why your worth was anchored before you ever did a single thing to earn it This week, the next time that voice hands down a verdict, don’t argue with it point by point. Just ask it one question: is this anchored in truth, or is this just you, doing what you always do? Next time, we’re staying In the Car, talking about what “how was your day” actually gets you and what to ask instead. xo, Kristen 🎧 If this one hit home, follow or subscribe so the next episode finds you too. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

Hey doll! You know that feeling right before a spiral starts? Your brain gets buzzy, your chest gets tight, and out of nowhere it feels like every single person around you is watching, waiting to see if you’re gonna mess this up. Maybe it’s not even a big moment: a test, a text still sitting on delivered, the way somebody looked at you in the hallway. Doesn’t matter. Your brain treats it like the whole thing is riding on you. In this one, I’m getting real about my own version of that story: figure-8 drills in basketball practice, and the lengths I’d go to so nobody would ever see me struggle. Spoiler, nobody was actually watching that closely. My inner critic just liked to convince me otherwise. Then we get practical. I’m walking you through something you can use the second you feel a spiral coming on, and it’s physical, not just another thought to think. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - Why you can’t think your way out of a spiral (and what actually works instead) - The question to ask before the spiral even starts: what am I trying to prove, and to who - How to build your own breath prayer, using my go-to verse as an example - Why prepping this ahead of time matters more than figuring it out mid-spiral One step this week: pick your breath prayer phrase now, before you need it. Write it down somewhere you’ll actually see it. Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, it’ll match you with a scripture guide for your specific type of anxious. Next time, we’re talking about the inner critic, that voice that convinces you the whole room is watching when nobody ever said a word. We’re gonna talk back to it. xo, Kristen 🎧 If this helps you catch a spiral before it started, follow/subscribe so the next episode finds you too. WANNA GO DEEPER, BABY SIS? Step 1: Grab the free PEACE Playbook, your first tool for the anxious moment: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Step 2: Not sure where to start? Take the quiz, What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Step 3: Come sit with other girls doing this work in the free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community Step 4: Ready for more support? Learn about coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching

You feel stressed and you can’t even explain why. From the outside you look completely fine, good grades, good friend, showing up at church. But inside, something’s off, and you can’t point to one clear reason. Here’s what nobody talks about: if you’re a Christian teen girl, you’re not just carrying the normal overthinking, overstimulation stress that everyone your age deals with. You’ve got an extra layer on top. The pressure to perform for the Lord, to be the good example for your church friends and family, to have it all together spiritually on top of everything else. Today we’re naming that pressure and giving you something real to do with it. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: - Why Christian teen girls carry a double layer of stress that most people never talk about - The real tension between wanting to fit in and being called to be set apart - A simple nightly tool called Name the Good, and why writing it down (not typing it) matters - What 1 Corinthians 13:12 has to do with not having it all figured out yet - One thing you can do tonight to start building a list you can lean on later One step this week: Grab a notebook. Every night before bed, write down three specific good things. Start building your list. xo, Kristen 🎧 Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss Friday’s episode! LET’S CONNECT! 🕊️ Free PEACE Playbook: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace 🩶 Free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community ❓ What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You?: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz

This one is for both of you. Put it on speaker. There is a conversation you two have been circling for months. Both of you know it is sitting there. Neither one of you opens it. So you get the forty minute drive and about ninety seconds of real information, and everybody keeps breathing. Here is what is actually happening. One of you is scared of being a disappointment. The other one is scared of not knowing how to help. Same fear, two different outfits. And “fine” is a relief for both of you, which is exactly why it keeps working. So today we are facing the elephant in the room. Or the car. Or wherever y’all are listening from. This is a short one, but I am going to give each of you one question and make you actually answer it out loud, right there, to each other. Not tonight. Now. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “how was your day” gets you “fine” every single time, and what to ask instead The one question your daughter is scared to ask you, and why counting to ten before you answer it changes everything The one question you are scared to answer, and why “I don’t know” isn’t the truth The three rules that keep this from turning into a fight in a moving vehicle: no fixing, no defending, no “but” Why being quiet was never a verdict on your parenting, and what to do with what she tells you Your one thing this week: Mom, next time you see it on her face, do the specific thing she named in the car. Do not improve it, do not add to it, just do it. Doll, tell her one thing you were going to round down. Just one. Friday - doll, that one is yours. We are getting into the stressed out feeling you cannot explain, where somebody asks what is wrong and you have got nothing. There is pressure on you nobody else can see, and I am going to help you name it. xo, Kristen Follow the show wherever you are listening. It is free, and it is how these episodes find the next mama and the next girl who need this conversation in their car. LET’S CONNECT! Free PEACE Playbook: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You?: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz

That thought that just showed up out of nowhere? The one that said your friend group only tolerates you, or that you always come in second because somebody is always smarter, more talented, more athletic? You didn’t choose to think that. It landed on you. Here’s what I need you to know first: a thought showing up in your head is not proof that something is wrong with you, and it is not your fault. In this episode we talk about what an intrusive thought actually is, why I believe the Enemy uses them on purpose to keep you stuck in your own head, and the three step tool that lets you fight back with something better than positive thinking. We’re sitting in 2 Corinthians 10:5, and I’m going to show you why “take every thought captive” is the most practical verse in your Bible. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: What an intrusive thought actually is, in plain terms, and what it isn’t Why a thought that feels true is not the same thing as a thought that is true The CCS tool: catch it, call it, swap it, in about three seconds Why arguing with the thought never works, and replacing it does Why these hit hardest when you’re tired, and why that is not a flaw in you This week, your one brave thing: the next time one of those thoughts lands, don’t debate it. Run CCS on it one time. Catch it, that was a thought. Call it, that’s not a fact. Swap it, here’s what’s actually true. Just once, and notice what happens when you stop treating that thing like information. On Friday we’re getting in the car, and it’s one for you and your mom to listen to together. Bring her. xo, Kristen Follow/subscribe so the next episode finds you too. LET’S CONNECT! What Type of Anxious Teen Girl Are You? Take the 2 minute quiz and get scriptures for the thoughts your type gets stuck in: anxiouschristianteen.com/quiz Free PEACE Playbook: anxiouschristianteen.com/peace Free community: anxiouschristianteen.com/community 1:1 Coaching: anxiouschristianteen.com/coaching