Teen anxiety is everywhere right now. But not all distress is danger.

Dr. Lisa Damour joins Dr. Marc Brackett on Dealing with Feeling to talk about what's actually happening to teens in a high-pressure, high-input world, and how parents and educators can support kids without overcorrecting, minimizing, or spiraling.

They break down the difference between discomfort that builds strength and distress that needs intervention, and why the goal isn't to eliminate hard feelings, it's to help teens move through them with more skill and support.

In this conversation

• Why teen anxiety is rising and what's developmentally normal

• How pressure, social media, and school safety fears shape teen stress

• Why "uncomfortable" doesn't always mean "unmanageable"

• What parents can say and do that actually helps in the moment

• How to build emotional durability without trying to "fix" everything

Links

Marc Brackett: https://marcbrackett.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett
X: https://x.com/marcbrackett
Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett

Guest links
Dr. Lisa Damour: https://drlisadamour.com
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: https://drlisadamour.com/books/the-emotional-lives-of-teenagers/

About the guest:
Lisa Damour is a clinical psychologist and New York Times bestselling author specializing in adolescent development. She is the author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers and co-host of the Ask Lisa podcast, and she's known for translating research into practical guidance for families and schools.

Dr. Marc Brackett's Books

• Permission to Feel
• Dealing with Feeling

Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates.

A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Dr. Dacher Keltner joins Dr. Marc Brackett on Dealing with Feeling to explore a surprising question:
What if awe—not control—is one of our most powerful tools for easing anxiety?

They unpack how everyday moments of wonder can soften stress, reconnect us to others, and reshape how we relate to difficult emotions. From micro-practices you can try immediately to deeper reflections on moral beauty, community, and meaning, this conversation rethinks what emotional well-being actually looks like in a busy, overwhelmed world.

In this conversation

• How awe interrupts anxiety and creates perspective
• Why small "micro-practices" can have outsized emotional impact
• What it really means to give yourself permission to feel
• How movement, music, and shared experiences regulate emotions
• Why recognizing everyday goodness can restore hope and connection

Links

Marc Brackett: https://marcbrackett.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett
X: https://x.com/marcbrackett
Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett

About the guest
Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, and a leading researcher on awe, compassion, and emotional expression. He is the author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and a scientific advisor for Pixar's Inside Out.

Dr. Marc Brackett's Books

• Permission to Feel
• Dealing with Feeling

Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates.

A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Fitness coach Marco Jimenez wasn't looking for an inspirational arc—he was trying to function through anxiety and panic attacks. In this episode of Dealing with Feeling, he and Dr. Marc Brackett talk about what actually helped (and what didn't) as he rebuilt resilience.

Marco shares his personal journey, the tools he once dismissed, and why curiosity (not perfection) became the turning point for both his emotional and physical resilience.

In this conversation

• What panic and anxiety took from Marco—and what helped him get it back
• Why curiosity beats "quick fixes" when you're trying to change your life
• How to reframe setbacks and stay connected to your purpose
• The small, repeatable shifts that build resilience over time

Links

Marco Jimenez: https://www.marcojimenezfitness.com/
Marco on Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcojimenez9

Marc Brackett: https://marcbrackett.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett
X: https://x.com/marcbrackett
Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett

About the guest:
Marco Jimenez is a fitness coach and founder of Marco Jimenez Fitness. He works at the intersection of physical training and emotional resilience.

Dr. Marc Brackett's Books

• Permission to Feel
• Dealing with Feeling

Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates.

A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.