Many of the teenagers who seek counseling at my practice react strongly to disappointment. Some of them become despondent or angry, while others turn to unhealthy coping methods including changing their eating patterns, isolating themselves, or using mind altering substances.

I explain that while it is helpful for teens to learn how to regulate their emotional responses, including through the use of hypnosis, an additional approach is to learn how to think differently so that they don’t react as strongly to begin with.

This blog reviews 4 ways in which one can think about life experiences that ease coping with disappointment.

The Stoic philosophy of accepting things we cannot change and maintaining emotional indifference to external circumstances helps us cope better with events that would otherwise trigger disappointment.

For instance, if your friend did not keep a promise rather than becoming upset at the friend, the event can be viewed through the lens: “I can........

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