Teenage anger and aggression have been a common concern for parents of adolescents. Research has shown that non-contact boxing can provide a cathartic release of anger, aggression, stress, and the dissipation of anxious energy.
Boxing may not seem like the go-to treatment for teenage mental health issues, however boxing to help with trauma, depression and anger relief has been boosting mental wellness in all ages.
With many teenagers constantly connected to their devices (cellphone addiction, gaming or video addiction), the thought of not being online causes teen anxiety, depression, even anger and rage. When parents attempt to remove their phone, some teens will self-destructive or destroy home property.
Boxing can help teens overcome rage, build self-confidence and other well-being benefits from this type of outlet.
How Boxing Helps Teenage Mental Health
Boxing is not a substitute for professional therapy. Boxing is an outlet to help teenagers release their feelings of anger, rage or other issues they are struggling with — without hurting other people or family members emotionally or physically.
1. Release Aggression. The feeling of hitting or striking a punching bag actually gets their aggression out. Boxing supports stress and anger management for your teenager, especially if they tend to be explosive. One study found that college students who played a VR boxing game twice a week for 30 minutes reported fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress after six weeks.
2. Improves Mood. Boxing is like exercise, research has proven that being active through high-intensity work-out can decrease stress, anxiety and depression. By hitting the target over and over again actually makes your teenager feel happier and calmer. This is because high-intensity cardio work, like boxing, increases the release of our parasympathetic, or rest and digest, hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, endocannabinoids, and endorphins.
3. Builds Resilience. Boxing can feel empowering for teens that feel powerless or hopeless in their lives. It reminds them that even when life gets difficult and they get knocked down, they can get back up and start over. Life is tough, especially for adolescents, having an outlet like boxing can help them relieve their stress, anger and rage and develop the resilience they need to prepare themselves for the future.
4. Boosts Self-Confidence. As your teenager starts boxing, they start feeling the impact of their own strength and power. Each time they attend a session and keep punching through their feelings, they realize over and over again that they are strong, capable, and powerful. Feeling confident helps your teenager not only make better choices in life, but manage stressful and difficult situations — especially when they start feeling anger or rages impulses.
5. Destructive Therapy. This is a great way for troubled teens to vent their emotions by punching a heavy bag and pads. Destructive therapy has become an effective way to help people manage negative emotions like anger, stress, rage or frustration. A teenager can punch away their problems and walk away feeling more relaxed. Finding a safe way to release this negative energy is imperative, boxing can be that answer.
The benefits of boxing for teenage mental health also include leading to better sleep patterns. Quality sleep helps your teen improve their academic performance as well as mental-wellness.
Overall, boxing can help your troubled teenager work through negative feelings and effectively overcome them.
Also read:
How To Talk To Teens About Bad Grades.
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