Anxiety takes control of Riley’s brain after arriving as a new emotion in “Inside Out 2.” *Disney/Pixar*

Disney/Pixar’s latest movie, Inside Out 2, offers valuable insights for tween and teen girls and their parents on navigating the complexities of growing up. With a focus on emotional development and mental health, Inside Out 2 is a must-watch for parents seeking a deeper understanding of their daughter’s emotional world.

In the original 2015 film, we followed 11-year-old Riley and her five core emotions: Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness. Now, as she turns 13, Riley is joined by four new and complex emotions as she enters puberty: Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui. These emotions highlight the challenges teen girls face, such as starting high school, dealing with friendship struggles, and striving to make the sports team.

Below are four key takeaways from Inside Out 2 that can help you better understand your daughter’s emotional journey and provide support during her tween and teen years.

1. Emotional ups and downs are NORMAL during puberty.

At the beginning of the movie, Riley experiences a series of changes—seemingly overnight—after puberty is “installed” in her brain. New emotions, like Anxiety and Embarrassment, take control, making Riley appear moody and self-conscious. Parents might wonder: what happened to their sweet girl?

A feelings chart from Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2. — *Disney/Pixar*

Puberty, and all the hormones and social complexities that come with it, is not necessarily a fun time. These new and heightened emotions are a great example of the often sudden, mental and emotional changes that girls experience as they go through this stage of life.

If your daughter is entering puberty and showing stronger and/or more complicated emotional reactions, she’s not alone!

Between the ages 8 and 14, girls’ confidence levels drop by 30%. (2023 THE GIRLS’ INDEX)

92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look. (2023 THE GIRLS’ INDEX)
7 in 10 U.S. teens cited anxiety and depression as “major problems” among teenagers in their community (Pew Research Center).

It's common for girls to begin experiencing anxiety at this age. Their teenage brain undergoes significant changes as it develops, which are accompanied by hormonal fluctuations that commonly increase susceptibility to anxiety.

TIP: When experiencing high levels of anxiety, your daughter can try grounding techniques like Riley does: deep breathing, focusing on your senses, and repeating positive affirmations.

Also: Social comparisons increase in middle and high school

It’s no surprise that Riley’s new emotions—Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui—stem from social comparisons. During middle and high school, social comparisons become a bigger obstacle for teen girls, often leading to insecurities and lower self-esteem. In fact, 7 in 10 girls believe they aren’t good enough or don’t measure up (CDC, 2023).

True self worth is achieved by focusing on her own values and strengths, rather than seeking external validation through comparison. Working on this can help your daughter build self-confidence in place of insecurities and self-doubt.

TIP: Instead of eliminating comparisons altogether, guide your daughter to take inspiration from others.

Example: Instead of saying “I wish I was as good of an athlete as Olivia,” say, “I am inspired by Olivia’s hard work and dedication to her sport.”

2. Be aware of the thoughts > feelings > action cycle

Riley from Inside Out 2 navigating her emotions — *ZGiRLS*

Throughout the movie, Riley demonstrates how her thoughts have a significant impact on her action. Makes sense, but let’s break it down:

After hearing her friends will be going to a different high school than her, Riley thinks, “I will never have friends in high school.”

This fixed-mindset leads to the emotions Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Sadness taking over. These feelings then impact her actions throughout the movie as she breaks many of her morals and abandons her friends in order to try to impress the “cool” high schoolers at hockey camp.

This concept of the Thoughts > Feelings > Action cycle shows how powerful self-talk can be. Riley’s sense-of-self, visually represented as a glowing structure, is lost, rebuilt, and transformed through positive affirmations like, “I am a good person.”

TIP: If you catch your daughter using language that is self-limiting or is not representative of her core values, encourage her to pause, and think about how she can reframe it (try adding the word YET).

Example: “I will never be able to do this!” → “I haven’t figured out how to do this YET, but I can!”

3. Embrace ALL emotions, even the negative ones

Inside Out 2 illustrates how every emotion, even the negative ones, are essential for personal growth and self-understanding.

With the arrival of new emotions, Joy and Anxiety fight for control of Riley. Joy tries to get rid of all of the memories that are too negative, and Anxiety even tries to “bottle up” the other emotions so that she can take full control of Riley.

While they are both trying to protect her, suppressing emotions is only harmful as it leads to Riley’s panic attack towards the end of the film.

This highlights an important lesson for parents: When we don’t acknowledge our emotions, we run the risk of self-sabotaging ourselves later when they inevitably pop back up. How can your daughter do this without feeling overwhelmed? By reminding herself that all feelings are valid and nothing to be ashamed of.

By the end of the movie, Riley’s sense-of-self is restored through a combination of all her emotions and memories, showing the importance of recognizing every feeling and learning from them.

TIP: In the ZGiRLS Confidence Program we encourage girls to aim for courageousness rather than pretending to be fearless. This acknowledgment takes away any shame from feeling afraid and makes room for clearer thinking.

4. Build a strong support system

*Riley (center) with friends at hockey camp. Disney/Pixar*

Although growing up presents many changes and challenges, Riley is a great example of working through these obstacles with the help of a strong support system.

Whether it be family, friends, or a therapist, handling difficult emotions and situations is easiest with the support and love of those around you. It may help your daughter to talk through her feelings with you, a friend, or another trusted adult. Can you create more opportunities for them to spend time together?

TIP: Continue to remind her that she is not alone and that she’s loved.

Final thoughts

Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2 teaches us that emotions—even the challenging ones—are integral to our personal growth. By embracing every emotion, you can help your daughter build a balanced emotional life, setting the stage for resilience and well-being.

Just as Riley learns to accept all her emotions as part of who she is, you can guide your daughter to do the same. Encourage her to view her feelings not as obstacles but as opportunities for emotional growth and self-discovery.

By implementing these lessons, you’ll foster a nurturing environment for your daughter to thrive emotionally, building confidence and resilience that will support her well into her young adult years and beyond.

You’re doing great. ZGiRLS is here for your family.

ZGiRLS equips middle school girls with the mental health tools and resources to build lifelong confidence, resilience, and unwavering self-worth. Learn more about how we help tweens and teens realize their fullest potential.

Unlocking Tween Emotions: Lessons from "Inside Out 2"