Today's teens face unprecedented pressure to excel academically, socially, and in extracurricular activities, contributing to rising rates of stress and mental health challenges among young people. This pressure stems from competitive college admissions, social media comparison culture, peers and unrealistic expectations to name a few. While healthy motivation encourages growth and learning from mistakes, harmful pressure creates chronic stress focused solely on outcomes and perfection. Parents can support their teens by emphasizing effort over results, creating safe spaces for open conversation, and modeling balanced approaches to challenges. Understanding the difference between supportive encouragement and damaging pressure is crucial for helping young people develop resilience rather than burnout. 

Join us in this conversation with CHC’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Interns , Michelle Hull  and Roxanna Flores as we explore practical strategies for fostering healthy motivation while protecting teen mental health.

Resources:

• CHC Online
• CHC’s Catherine T. Harvey Center for Clinical Services
• CHC's Resource Library

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Santo Rico by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/