Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episodeAbout 10 years ago Dr. Lisa Damour started to notice that stress and anxiety were on the rise among the teenage girls she worked with in her therapy practice and at the Laurel School, where she is the director of the Center for Research on Girls. The trend was so strong that Lisa felt compelled to focus on it for her second book, Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.But this anxiety isn't something we need to protect girls from. In fact, Lisa says most of the time stress is actually beneficial because when we are anxious about an upcoming test or tournament, it motivates us to work hard to prepare and make sure we are ready. Also, studies show that we actually perform better when we are a little bit "revved up".It seems many girls today are worried they experience too much anxiety. However, Lisa told me that a teenager's stress level only becomes "too much" when its completely out of proportion to what the situation calls for. Most of the time anxiety is actually a good thing.As parents we need to start doing a better job of helping our teens "face their fears". We need to teach them how to handle their anxiety and how to push themselves to do things that aren't necessarily easy for them. Lisa reveals how to do it on this week's episode.This episode is brought to you by Teen Job Prep. Their intuitive resume builder helps teens create a professional resume, even with no experience! And their engaging video training teaches teens how to get a work permit, ace an interview, and find a part-time job.