Rediscovering Your Inner Teen

(computer mouse clicking) (gentle serene music) Headspace Studios. (gentle ambient music) Hi. Sam here. Welcome to "Radio Headspace," and to Tuesday. So let's start with a question. What comes to mind when you think about your own adolescence? Did you enjoy your time in high school or is there not enough money in the whole world that would make you relive it? What's your relationship to teenagers now? I can say that, as I get older, I often find it harder to relate to the teens in my life. In my early 20s, I enjoyed working with teens, and I could connect easily, but it's harder to connect now because I just wish they would enjoy life outside their phones more often. In the midst of this frustration and confusion surrounding some teen behavior, I find it helpful to reconnect with some of the pleasant, albeit intense experiences of being an adolescent. This can help us to explore some of the opportunities that this period offers to us as adults. Thinking about those moments can teach us a lot about ourselves and the teens in our lives. (serene ambient music) Dr. Dan Siegel has written many books on human development, one of which focuses on the adolescent brain. In his book, "Brainstorm," he outlines the major neurological, behavioral, and emotional changes at play during adolescence, and he offers ways in which we can relate to this period more positively. So how can we turn toward and embrace the changes of adolescence? How can we be more available for and attuned to our teen friends and family members? First, a little background on what's going on within this turbulent adolescent brain. Adolescence is a time when the brain is under construction, specifically the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for executive functioning. Executive functioning includes our ability to control our impulses, make thoughtful decisions, plan, manage our time effectively, and organize. So they're pretty important adulting skills. The adolescent brain is also more sensitive to dopamine, making the highs and lows of life much more emotionally intense. So what, you may ask, are the benefits of this period? For one, adolescents are able to see and solve problems in new and innovative ways, as they begin to question all that they were taught in childhood. And this encourages us as adults to reconsider our long-held beliefs and ways of doing things. It invites us to update our norms and our routines. And they're also primed to seek novelty, craving new places and experiences, and inviting us to join in a new hobby, visit a new neighborhood or travel somewhere we wouldn't otherwise. In essence, they offer us the opportunity to see life with new energy and a fresh perspective. So if you wanna join me in a reflective exercise, just take a moment to bring to mind a time in your own adolescence that was particularly enthralling. Maybe it was the feeling of having a major crush on someone for the first...