According to a study published by Journal of Medical Internet Research, 71% (138 of the 195 students) of randomly selected high school students indicated increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Chris Guzniczak, a licensed professional counselor located at the Flower Mound Counseling clinic, emphasizes the importance of confronting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and also proposes a solution: a talk. 

“[Stress and anxiety] are definitely very relevant these days,” Guzniczak said. “And it’s probably the strangest, most difficult year we’ve ever had.”

On Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cozby Library and Community Commons, Guzniczak will discuss various aspects of confronting stress for teenagers, such as harnessing negative feelings for reflection and growth, managing and identifying emotions, changing perspective and thought patterns and maintaining a sense of self, as mentioned on Cozby Library’s event calendar. Through his message at the Cozby Library, Guzniczak aspires to share the impact of emotions on teenagers. 

“One of the most important things with any negative emotions [is] that people don’t realize is the value in them,” Guzniczak said. “As you understand why you’re depressed and anxious and what it actually says even about you, [it] is really awesome.” 

Rather than ignoring negative emotions, Guzsniczak says being aware of them leads to more opportunity for growth. 

“Think of a negative emotion like a symptom, just like physical pain,” Guzniczak said. “Instead of ignoring the symptom and trying to push it away, actually taking the time to understand it and [seeing] what it says about you can be a really cool experience.”

Guzniczak finds purpose in his career as a therapist because of the effect on people’s lives. 

“There are very few things you can do as a career that can really change a person’s life, and I feel like I change people’s lives, and that’s pretty cool,” Guzniczak said. “I hope that a couple of people walk away with some new knowledge that can help them feel better.”

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