Daily Strategies for Coping With Adjustment Disorders in Teens
Up to 35% of people experience an adjustment disorder, but the good news is that they’re entirely treatable.1 If you’d like to understand more about where adjustment disorders come from and their treatment options, a mental health professional can help.
Plus, whether you’re a teen looking for help or a parent seeking advice, this page provides ways teens can manage adjustment disorder using simple and effective daily strategies. It covers:
What adjustment disorder is- Why daily coping strategies matter
- Self-help and stress management techniques
- How to build healthy habits that support mental health
- Ways that family and school can provide support
- Where to access professional help
What Is Adjustment Disorder in Teens?
While it’s natural to have some reaction when stressful life changes occur, an adjustment disorder is more than a normal reaction to stress and change. It’s an excessive, unhealthy response that can develop within three months of the stressful change happening. Although it is often a short-term condition, typically lasting up to six months, there are instances of adjustment disorder becoming chronic and lasting a lot longer.2
Common Symptoms of Adjustment Disorder
There are six types of adjustment disorder, each with its own set of specific symptoms that can manifest behaviorally, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
For instance, teenagers with adjustment disorder tend to exhibit symptoms such as acting out, impulsivity, getting into fights, or skipping school. However, they may also show emotional symptoms like anxiety or depression, or have physical complaints like aches, pains, exhaustion, or feeling like their heart is skipping a beat (palpitations). Additionally, having an adjustment disorder can cause teens to struggle with focus, concentration, remembering things, or making good decisions.2,3
The result of such symptoms could ultimately lead to a decline in academic performance, problems with family and friends, risk-taking behavior, and struggles with their overall well-being. Plus, if an adjustment disorder is not treated, it may continue affecting your teen’s ability to function or potentially lead to other conditions, like major depression or generalized anxiety.3
Identifying an adjustment disorder early is key to teens accessing the support they need and preventing the condition from developing further. Effective treatments are available, which you can learn more about in our guide, Treatment for Adjustment Disorder in Teens.
However, there are also things you can put in place to help manage this disorder in daily life. Let’s look at the importance of having daily coping strategies before moving on to some practical strategies for coping with adjustment disorder teens can use.
Why Daily Coping Strategies Matter
When you live with an adjustment disorder, each day can feel unpredictable. Moods may suddenly swing from feeling “OK” to overwhelmed or angry. If this is the case, building daily habits can help – by creating a sense of stability and reliability when everything else in life may feel chaotic and uncontrollable.
For teens tackling adjustment disorder, small steps can add up over time to make a big difference. By incorporating strategies designed to manage stress more effectively, teens can be ready with the tools needed to handle any emotional bumps in the road they encounter.
The daily strategies adjustment disorder adolescents most often benefit from are those focused on their long-term mental health. These include ways to reduce anxiety, manage stress, improve sleep, and boost overall well-being. They can allow teens to take back some control and make positive changes – something they may feel is missing during stressful life changes.
In the following sections, you’ll discover habits and strategies that can be incorporated into a daily routine to make a real impact on a teen’s mental health.
Adjustment Disorder Self Care for Teenagers
Sometimes, it can feel like you’re waiting for someone else to come and fix the situation you’ve found yourself in. You haven’t chosen to feel like this, and you don’t want to keep feeling like this, but what can you do?
The truth is that there are several things you can start doing to help you feel more in control. With self help adjustment disorder teenagers can discover tools to help them regain control and understand themselves better. Self-care isn’t selfish or a luxury – it’s essential to maintain overall well-being.
With this information in mind, here are some self-care suggestions for teens to try out:
- Journaling: The process of journaling can bring several benefits, such as lowering stress levels, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and building better self-awareness.4
- Increasing movement: Regular physical activity can act like a stress-buster and mood-enhancer due to its effect on the body; reducing the levels of stress hormones and increasing “feel-good” chemicals like endorphins.5,6
- Taking screen breaks: Being constantly exposed to news stories and social media has the potential to make us feel emotionally drained. Try putting a pause on doomscrolling to see how it affects your mood. Also, using bright screens before bed can harm sleep due to blue light exposure, so remember to switch your phone to a nighttime mode. But, if you can, avoiding using your phone before bedtime is best.7
- Getting creative: Artistic activities like painting, writing, or making music can help to release bottled-up feelings healthily.
It’s important to remember that these techniques aren’t one-size-fits-all, so experiment with them and discover what works best for you.
Stress Management Techniques for Adjustment Disorder in Teens
One of the most effective tools for tackling stress is mindfulness.8 Mindfulness simply means being fully present in the moment, without any judgment. And, you can begin practicing this with exercises as short as a minute. For instance, you could try breathing exercises, body scans, meditation, or grounding exercises to build your ability to be present in the moment.
With mindfulness coping strategies adjustment disorder teens may start to feel more balanced and better able to manage stress.
Creating Healthy Lifestyle Changes
Sometimes it can feel difficult to keep on top of basic tasks, like eating or sleeping, when your mental health is struggling. But by creating healthy habits, teens with adjustment disorder can regain a sense of structure and safety when everything else seems to be changing too quickly.
There are many ways to bring healthy habits into your life, but remember that you don’t have to try everything at once. It’s important to find ways to incorporate healthy routines that work for you, rather than causing extra stress.
Some healthy habits that can support the overall mental well-being of those struggling with adjustment disorder include the following.
Lifestyle Changes for Adjustment Disorders:
- Get a good night’s sleep: Good quality sleep helps your brain keep working at its best. Also, poor sleep can cause teens to struggle more with emotional regulation and feel more stressed, highlighting how important sleep really is.9 Because of this, it’s worth taking a moment to see if you can do anything to make your bedtime routine even more relaxing. For example, making sure your room is at a comfortable temperature and avoiding screens for at least an hour before sleep.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet: Researchers have discovered that eating a healthy, balanced diet can improve overall well-being. Equally, eating a diet high in sugars or saturated fats can actually worsen symptoms of mood disorders. Therefore, you may want to consider making simple switches to your diet to help with your mood. For instance, you could consider adding an extra portion of fruit or veg as a snack each day.10
- Keep hydrated: Ensuring you are drinking enough water each day can improve your mood and give you more energy.11
Plus, as mentioned previously, daily gentle exercise can boost mood by increasing endorphins and releasing stress. Even a ten-minute walk or stretch can help. By making a few simple lifestyle changes such as these adjustment disorder youth may feel long-lasting benefits to their mood.
The Role of Family Support in Recovery From Adjustment Disorders
Dealing with an adjustment disorder can feel incredibly isolating, which is why family support is often so important. It can make the difference between struggling in silence and learning to cope in a healthy and supported way.
There are many ways that a family can support a teen, such as through improving communication, engaging in healthy and fun activities, or shifting stressful family dynamics.
Some suggestions for creating a supportive family environment with less stress include:
- Family therapy: The entire family can engage in therapy together to focus on resolving conflicts and improving communication. This can be especially effective if the trigger for the adjustment disorder was related to a family change or event..
- Creating a safe space: Try to create a safe and stable space at home for your teen. For example, if possible, minimize extra sources of stress and create routines that bring a sense of consistency and stability.
- Modeling emotional regulation: Parents can show their teens how to cope with stress by modeling good emotional regulation.
- Using open communication: Encourage your teen to open up about what they are going through. Let them express themselves without judging them, and let them know that you are there to support them.
- Providing practical and emotional support: Help your teen to keep a healthy lifestyle, and encourage them to get the help they need. This may include assisting them with attending therapy appointments, working with their school to make accommodations, or encouraging them to attend support groups for adjustment disorder adolescents.
- Planning fun and healthy activities: Encourage fun activities that can be carried out together, for example, exercise classes, cooking meals, or arts and crafts.
By creating a nurturing environment at home through steps such as these, you can provide your child with the family support adjustment disorder teenagers need.
Coping at School: What Teens Can Do
School can contribute to adjustment disorder in teens as it’s often a source of stress. Between performance pressure, navigating social dynamics, and dealing with constant change, the whole academic environment can feel overwhelming. However, with the right tools for coping in school with adjustment disorder, adolescents can feel more in control without feeling overwhelmed.
Some tips for coping at school may include:
- Talking to a trusted adult, such as a teacher or school counselor, who can support you
- Using a planner to help you keep track of assignments and reduce any last-minute stress
- Sitting near calmer classmates (if possible) to help you feel safer and more focused
- Stepping outside for a breath of fresh air between classes (if you have permission) to give yourself some space
Steps such as these can reduce the stress that school can often create. They’re not about removing the teen from the factors that may create pressure, but about providing ways to cope that help them feel more empowered. Over time, these coping strategies can make a big difference in how they feel throughout the school day.
Seek Support for Adjustment Disorder With Mission Prep
Adjustment disorder in teens can feel overwhelming, but with the right support and coping skills, teens can build resilience and learn how to manage the challenges that life brings.
If your teen is struggling with adjustment disorder, know that they don’t have to face it alone. At Mission Prep, our team of mental health experts works with teens and their families to help them reach long-term recovery. We do so by helping adolescents overcome life’s challenges with compassion, structure, and evidence-based therapies.
Are you ready to take the next step? Reach out today to learn more about how we can support your family on the path to healing.
References
- Alvarado, G. L. (2021). Adjustment disorder in the pediatric population. Pediatric Medicine, 5, 19. https://doi.org/10.21037/pm-20-76
- Cleveland Clinic. (2025, August 27). Adjustment disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21760-adjustment-disorder
- Mayo Clinic. (2023, July 6). Adjustment disorders – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adjustment-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20355224
- Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. (n.d.). Journaling for mental health. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=journaling-for-mental-health-1-4552
- Royal College of Psychiatrists. (n.d.). Physical activity, exercise and mental health for young people. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/physical-activity-exercise-and-mental-health-for-young-people
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, July 7). Exercising to relax. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
- Bhat, S., Pinto-Zipp, G., Upadhyay, H., & Polos, P. G. (2018). “To sleep, perchance to tweet”: in-bed electronic social media use and its associations with insomnia, daytime sleepiness, mood, and sleep duration in adults. Sleep Health, 4(2), 166–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.12.004
- Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., Chapleau, M., Paquin, K., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(6), 763-771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005
- NHLBI, NIH. (2022, June 15). How sleep affects your health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/health-effects
- Selhub, E. (2022, September 18). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
- Pross, N., Demazières, A., Girard, N., Barnouin, R., Metzger, D., Klein, A., Perrier, E., & Guelinckx, I. (2014). Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. PLoS ONE, 9(4), e94754. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094754
