Teens and angst go together like peanut butter and jelly. Teens are supposed to experience angst. It’s what teaches them how to sort through experiences and feelings so that when they are older, and their brains are more fully developed, they can get through life with more ease.

If that seems like a strange statement to make, think of the story of the man who found a butterfly struggling to emerge from its chrysalis. The man, thinking he was doing the butterfly a favor, helped it emerge—only to discover that because he helped, the butterfly’s wing was deformed and wasn’t able to fly. It’s in the struggle itself (or the angst) that teens develop the tools and abilities to deal with what life might throw them.

But the angst for some teens has gotten out of hand. A combination of too much outside sensory input via social media, advertising, teacher and peer pressure, telling them they aren’t good enough, smart enough or ambitious enough, have created doubt in teens that is manifesting in cutting, drugs and suicide in alarming numbers.

What can we do to help? One possible answer could be: nothing. Give them the space to get in touch with who they really are in a flotation tank. Flotation allows the teen to unplug from the outside world and just be. In the quiet of the tank, the teen is given the opportunity to discover for themselves some answers without the outside noise. It gives them a chance for peace within themselves that they cannot find anywhere else.

Kalyn Wolf is the owner/operator of Cloud Nine Flotation Center and has been involved in energetic healing and floating for over 30 years. Connect at 520-668-4017, [email protected] or FloatTucson.com.