Little Treatments, Big Effects

Have you ever felt like your feelings or abilities are just part of who you are—as if anxiety, sadness, or shyness are permanent traits you can’t change? In The Growth Mindset Workbook for Teens, psychologists Jessica L. Schleider, Michael C. Mullarkey, and Mallory L. Dobias set out to prove that this belief is not only untrue but also harmful. Drawing from neuroscience and mental health research, they argue that your brain is built to grow and adapt, meaning personal change is always possible. They aim to help teens understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can evolve through intentional practice and mindset shifts.

The authors’ central argument is simple yet profound: developing a growth mindset—believing that you can change and improve over time—transforms how you respond to life’s challenges. It’s not about pretending everything is fine, but rather about discovering real tools to make life more manageable, one step at a time. The book bridges cutting-edge psychological science and practical exercises designed to help teens turn fixed thoughts (“I’ll never be good enough”) into flexible, hopeful beliefs (“I can learn to handle this”).

Why This Matters: The Power of Neuroplasticity

At the heart of the workbook lies one of psychology’s most empowering discoveries: neuroplasticity. This is your brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways throughout life. Simply put, your brain changes every time you learn or try something new. Schleider and her team use this as a scientific foundation for personal growth. They teach that feelings like anxiety or hopelessness aren’t permanent—they’re the result of reinforced neural connections that can be reshaped through effort and evidence-based strategies.

For example, a teen named Maria felt constantly low and withdrawn. When she began taking small actions—like attending soccer practice and reaching out to friends—her brain began forming new patterns of positivity and engagement. Even when the process was slow, Maria’s persistence proved that intentional action could change not just behavior, but emotion and self-identity.

From Fixed to Growth: A Shift in Mental Stories

A fixed mindset tells us that traits like intelligence or happiness are fixed quantities—you either have them or you don’t. A growth mindset, by contrast, acknowledges that skills and emotions develop like muscles: through practice, effort, and feedback. Schleider’s workbook explores how early beliefs shape the way we face challenges. Teens with fixed mindsets might avoid risks (“I can’t change, so I won’t try”), while growth-oriented teens see obstacles as opportunities to learn.

The distinction may appear small, but it’s monumental. When teens view failure as evidence of inability, they stop trying. When they see it as evidence of effort, they become resilient. This book intertwines this concept with mental health tools, echoing Carol Dweck’s foundational research (author of Mindset) and blending it with cognitive-behavioral therapy principles to show how thoughts drive change.

Building a Toolkit for Real Life

Unlike traditional self-help books that rely on feel-good slogans, this workbook offers structured, science-based exercises. These include writing letters to one’s younger self, tracking self-critical thoughts, identifying personal values, and setting achievable, concrete goals. The method is interactive: readers aren’t passively learning but actively reshaping how they think and behave. Each “For You to Do” activity builds a deeper understanding of self-change.

By linking personal reflection to neuroscience, the authors demystify the process of change. Teens discover that their frustration or anxiety isn’t evidence of failure—it’s evidence of growth in progress. “Feeling uncomfortable means your brain is working,” Schleider reminds readers. The workbook aligns with cognitive-behavioral interventions known to reduce anxiety and depression, packaging them in a relatable, teen-friendly format.

Resilience, Self-Kindness, and Support Systems

As readers progress, the book expands from mindset to emotional resilience. Part Two and beyond teach how to respond to negative self-talk (“I can’t do this”) with compassion and facts. Growth involves not only getting better at problem-solving but also getting better at being kind to yourself. This is especially powerful for teens navigating self-doubt and social pressure. By learning to treat themselves as they’d treat a supportive friend, teens strengthen emotional awareness and decrease internalized criticism.

Later chapters encourage connecting with supportive people and acknowledging gratitude, both of which help combat stress and loneliness. Exercises on gratitude and “getting good at getting help” train students to recognize that personal growth doesn’t happen in isolation—community is part of change.

In essence, the workbook shows that change is not an abstract dream—it’s a process grounded in science, behavior, and mindset. Your brain, your choices, and the people around you create a feedback loop of growth. By learning how your mind works, standing up to your inner critic, and acting on values you care about, you build a life closer to the one you imagine.

As Schleider’s team puts it, “You were literally born with the ability to change.” That belief—anchored in biology, shaped by effort, and proven by practice—is the heartbeat of the growth mindset. The book reminds its readers that feeling stuck isn’t a sign of failure. It’s the first step toward transformation.

The cornerstone of Schleider, Mullarkey, and Dobias’s philosophy is that your brain is an adaptable learning machine. Through neuroplasticity, your brain constantly rewires itself based on what you focus on, repeat, and practice. While this idea originates from neuroscience, the authors translate it into everyday language: change is built into your biology. Every thought you have or skill you practice strengthens connections between nerve cells—making it easier next time.

How Neurons Grow Stronger with Practice

Just as muscles get stronger after repeated use, neural pathways grow when you challenge yourself. Teens are especially advantaged here—their brains are among the most plastic of all. Every decision, emotion, and effort reshapes neural connections. Learning to play guitar, joining a sports team, or reframing anxiety all create new pathways that reinforce growth-oriented behavior.

The workbook personalizes this science through reflection activities. One prompt asks you to write a letter to your six-year-old self describing how far you’ve come—a simple but profound reminder that your past growth is proof of your brain’s potential. When you see that you’ve changed before, it becomes easier to believe you can change again.

Maria’s Story: From Apathy to Empowerment

Maria, a high school student, exemplifies neuroplasticity in action. Overwhelmed by sadness, she withdrew from friends and sports until she talked with a counselor who encouraged small daily actions—snacking on her favorite food, attending soccer practice, talking to a friend. Each act strengthened brain pathways associated with joy, motivation, and connection. Slowly, these rewired circuits made positive habits feel more natural. Her story echoes behavioral activation therapy (used in cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression), demonstrating how small changes in behavior shift emotion over time.

Turning Thought into Action

Thoughts, feelings, and actions form a loop—what cognitive science calls the thought-emotion-behavior cycle. When you think negative thoughts, you feel bad and act in ways that reinforce those feelings (staying home, isolating, procrastinating). But new thoughts and small behaviors interrupt the loop, building rewarding brain connections. Over time, the helpful pattern becomes automatic—not because emotions vanish, but because your brain learns a different response to them.

Understanding neuroplasticity doesn’t just make change more believable—it makes it actionable. You realize you’re not at the mercy of your emotions or habits. You’re the engineer of your own neural map. (Neuroscientist Norman Doidge, in The Brain That Changes Itself, calls this “self-directed neuroplasticity.” Schleider and colleagues make it practical for everyday teen life.)

Our beliefs create self-fulfilling prophecies. Schleider and team explain that the difference between a teen who gives up and one who persists often lies in their underlying mindset. People typically operate from one of two belief systems: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

Fixed vs. Growth: Two Competing Inner Voices

A fixed mindset whispers that abilities and emotions are permanent: “I’m just not good at math,” or “I’ll always be anxious.” This mindset creates avoidance, fear of failure, and helplessness. In contrast, a growth mindset reminds you that skills and emotions are trainable: “This is hard, but I can learn.”

The authors show that both types of thoughts exist in everyone—and they shift depending on stress. During setbacks, even high-achieving teens can fall into fixed thinking. By identifying when these thoughts appear, you can begin to stand up to them.

An example: Jared, a young tennis player, loses a match and immediately thinks it proves he’s bad at the sport. That’s a textbook fixed mindset. But when he reframes it as a chance to identify what to improve and practice, he activates a growth mindset—and begins forming new brain pathways for resilience.

Self-Fulfilling Loops and Emotional Feedback

Fixed-mindset thoughts don’t just distort perception—they direct behavior. When you think “I can’t,” you stop trying, which confirms the belief. The authors liken this to stopping brain growth before it starts. Growth-mindset thoughts, on the other hand, push you to take small risks that lead to learning. Though uncomfortable, they spark curiosity, connection, and success over time.

The workbook provides scripted activities where teens practice writing both fixed- and growth-style self-talk, helping the latter gain strength through repetition. Just as negative thoughts become automatic when unchallenged, positive and flexible thinking can become reflexive when practiced.

By teaching readers to spot fixed patterns like “I can’t” or “I’ll never,” Schleider helps them treat mindset as a skill rather than a personality trait. That shift—from identity to process—turns struggle into a signal for growth, not a verdict of failure.

Knowing change is possible is only the beginning. The next step is learning how to translate belief into action. Schleider and colleagues introduce the art of creating “growth-mindset goals”—clear, concrete, and achievable targets that align with your values and encourage progress through small steps.

From Wishful Thinking to Action Plans

Growth-mindset goals are built around four pillars: they’re positively stated, achievable, concrete, and trackable. The authors use the mnemonic ACT to help teens remember these features. For example, “I want to be less lonely” becomes “I’ll text a good friend every day this week.” That phrasing gives the goal an action and a measure.

The workbook illustrates transformation from vague intentions to action. Aaron, a student struggling in science, learns to shift his goal from “I don’t want a D” to “I’ll attend office hours once a week.” The new form directs behavior, builds accountability, and generates measurable improvement. Small actions compound into habits that reflect personal growth.

Anticipating Setbacks

A crucial element of growth-oriented goal setting is planning for obstacles. The authors highlight that failure isn’t a detour—it’s part of the process. They encourage listing potential barriers and supports ahead of time, making resilience a built-in part of every plan. (This approach mirrors techniques in cognitive-behavioral therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which focus on aligning actions with personal values even in discomfort.)

The goal-setting section helps transform belief into strategy. Teens discover that passion without structure can fizzle, but structured growth goals—anchored in daily actions—can rewire the brain toward success. Change becomes less about waiting for motivation and more about creating it through movement.

Later in the workbook, Schleider and her coauthors pivot from cognitive change to emotional healing. They introduce self-kindness as a radical yet essential skill: treating yourself with the same patience, forgiveness, and compassion you give to a friend. Many teens believe that being hard on themselves leads to success, but evidence suggests the opposite—self-criticism drains motivation and deepens stress.

Why Being Mean to Yourself Doesn’t Work

The book explains that the brain’s pattern-seeking system, the limbic system, sometimes confuses correlation with causation. For example, a student might study hard while also criticizing themselves harshly, then assume the criticism caused their good grade. But data shows that self-kindness, not self-judgment, fosters resilience and academic improvement—because being kind helps the brain focus and recover from failure.

In Jesse’s story, harsh self-talk before a presentation made anxiety worse. Once he learned to replace “I’m going to mess up” with “I’m nervous, but I can do my best,” he performed better and felt calmer. The workbook pushes readers to test this truth in their own lives through real-world practice—by recording moments of self-criticism and translating them into kind, supportive statements.

Activating Self-Kindness Daily

Self-kindness is not indulgence, nor is it inflated self-esteem. Schleider distinguishes it clearly: self-esteem depends on outcomes (“I love myself because I’m successful”), while self-kindness depends on humanity (“I deserve kindness even when I fail”). This aligns with research from Kristin Neff, a leading scholar in self-compassion, who emphasizes that kindness promotes motivation through safety, not fear.

Exercises encourage listing free daily kindnesses—listening to music, spending time with pets, or laughing at YouTube videos—to reinforce that self-care is accessible and repeatable. Cultivating these habits creates emotional flexibility, the capacity to bounce back from mistakes and disappointment.

“Being kind to yourself helps, being mean to yourself doesn’t,” say the authors—a deceptively simple rule that rewires how you talk to yourself. Over time, the inner critic becomes an inner coach, leading to healthier performance and mood regulation.

To sustain long-term growth, you need direction. That’s where values come in. The authors describe values as the compass that guides your decisions—a sense of purpose beyond external rewards. Acting on your values helps align what you do with who you want to become, turning challenges into meaningful opportunities rather than random stressors.

Distinguishing Values from Goals

Values are directions, not destinations. You never “finish” being honest, creative, or compassionate; these qualities guide ongoing action. Goals, by contrast, are milestones—what you check off along the way. Recognizing this difference helps teens avoid frustration when self-improvement feels never-ending. You’re not failing to arrive; you’re choosing to move toward what matters.

In one exercise, readers identify their top three values and describe how those values show up in their daily choices. For example, if kindness ranks high, small actions like listening to a friend or volunteering align with it. If courage matters, speaking in class or trying a new activity counts as growth. The authors help you link internal authenticity with outward behavior.

Rosie’s Example: Perseverance in Action

Rosie, age thirteen, values perseverance, inspired by her mother’s resilience. When negative self-talk like “I’m not good enough” appears, she reminds herself of this value: “You’re your mom’s daughter—you can find a way through.” Values become emotional anchors that tether you to what you stand for, even in stress. Seeing yourself through the lens of your chosen principles shifts your story from victimhood to agency.

By basing change on values rather than moods, Schleider teaches readers that identity evolves continuously. Values serve as a moral and emotional GPS, guiding each choice toward personal integrity and fulfillment.

The final chapters expand growth from inside (self-kindness, values) to outside (support and gratitude). Schleider argues that personal growth thrives in connection. Recognizing when to ask for help—and feeling grateful for the support you receive—makes you stronger, not weaker. The authors teach that help-seeking is a skill, not a flaw.

Getting Good at Getting Help

Many teens are reluctant to reach out, but research shows that social support buffers against depression and anxiety. Exercises invite readers to map their “support circle,” naming people—from friends to teachers—who can offer encouragement or professional help. Examples include Zara, who opened up to a friend and found relief simply by feeling understood, and Stephen, who sought his school counselor’s guidance and discovered resources for emotional well-being.

Asking for help can feel awkward, but repeating these steps builds emotional courage. Schleider normalizes it as practice rather than weakness—another form of brain training in vulnerability and trust.

Growing Gratitude

The workbook concludes by cultivating gratitude as an antidote to stress and despair. Gratitude, the authors note, is your brain’s way of highlighting what matters most—it points toward the people, places, and activities that nurture you. Teens like Li illustrate this beautifully: despite family hardships, she practiced gratitude for her loyal friend, her peaceful park, and her books, all of which grounded her amid uncertainty.

By integrating gratitude journals, letters, and reflection activities, Schleider’s workbook ends where it began: proving that change—scientific, emotional, and spiritual—is within reach. Connection and thankfulness give meaning to growth, ensuring that progress isn’t just mental retraining but genuine transformation of how you experience life.