Teenage Anxiety: Navigating Abundance & Feeling Overwhelmed

The Challenge We Never Saw Coming

We all think abundance is a good thing. Who wouldn’t? More choices, more opportunities, more of everything we’ve ever wanted—it sounds like a dream. But here’s the catch: abundance comes with its own set of challenges. Take calories, for example. We live in a world where there’s an abundance of food, yet obesity rates are skyrocketing. Or consider information: we’re drowning in data, notifications, and “must-read” articles, yet we often feel less informed than ever. Abundance is everywhere, but the real question is this: how do we manage it?

Feast With No End

This is especially true for teenagers. They’ve grown up in an age where choice and opportunity are infinite. Want to learn a new skill? There’s a free YouTube tutorial for that. Need a social connection? Just a swipe away. Yet, this endless abundance can be overwhelming, even paralyzing. It’s like standing in front of a buffet where everything looks good—but you can only fit so much on your plate.

But here’s the twist: their parents—our generation—grew up in a world of scarcity. And that’s shaped how we think. Our parents taught us to stretch every resource, to work hard, and to never waste a thing. We learned to ask, “How do I make the most of what I have?” But teens today are asking, “How do I choose what to leave out?” They’re navigating a completely different world, and the scarcity mindset we inherited doesn’t fully apply.

This gap between generations is fascinating. Parents often struggle to understand why their children seem to hesitate or become overwhelmed by choices. “Just pick something and go for it!” we might say. But it’s not that simple. Teens aren’t dealing with the fear of not having enough—they’re facing the anxiety of too much.

So how do we bridge this gap? How do we help teens manage abundance while understanding the different mindset they’ve inherited from us? It starts with conversations that build mutual understanding.

For parents, this means recognising that abundance isn’t inherently freeing—it can also be a burden. Teens need to learn how to prioritise, filter, and say no. For teens, it means understanding that their parents’ mindset isn’t outdated—

it’s just shaped by different circumstances. When we grew up, resources were finite. Today, the scarce resource is focus and capacity.

Abundance is the challenge of our time. It’s not just about managing calories or information—it’s about managing ourselves. And if we can teach teens (and ourselves!) to navigate this world with clarity and purpose, we won’t just be surviving abundance—we’ll be thriving in it.

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