The idea behind World Teen Mental Wellness Day is to raise awareness of the mental challenges faced by teenagers. Because let’s face it, existing between being not-quite-a-kid and not-quite-an-adult can’t always be a bed of roses. You may not know by just a glance, but most teenagers are juggling hurdles such as parental expectations, academic expectations, social pressures, peer pressures, identity discovery, home life, and mood swings. It is our duty as parents, guardians, and mentors to understand and empathize with these hurdles so that our teenagers enjoy and conquer this complicated chapter of his/her’s life. Below are a few ways to nurture your Teen’s Mental Health...
10 Ways to Nurture your Teen's Mental Health
- The easiest way to nurture your teen's mental health is to constantly talk to them with genuine care, concern, and love. Get to know your kid(s), ask them questions, praise their accomplishments, be their cheerleader, and help them through obstacles.
- There are multivitamins formatted for teenagers that can help boost mental and physical health while balancing hormones to keep those mood swings at bay.
- Staying up all night and sleeping all day is almost a teenager’s requirement…every once in a while, that is. Making this a habit can cause low productivity and procrastination which can interfere with school, work and other such responsibilities. So, encourage him/her to rise and lay at appropriate times.
- Being physical can help reduce stress and release good mood endorphins.
- Learning an instrument or taking up art fosters creativity, confidence and pride.
- Some teens are loners, and that’s okay. However, encouraging social connections can ward away signs of depression, loneliness, and fear. The trick is to help your teen find connections with their "type" of people. If your child is into chess, then help him find chess clubs, or if your child is into anime, then help him find anime groups, etc.
- Stress is inevitable, in every stage of life, and learning how to properly manage it is the key. Meditation, prayer, deep breathing, affirming, reading and journaling are all wonderful ways teenagers can combat stress, so that whatever the situation, it is defused with little negativity.
- Therapy or Counseling: If needed, seek professional help
- Develop Healthy Social Media Habits: social media has a massive impact on teenagers, therefore, it is important to make sure that your teen is giving and receiving healthy habits on all platforms. Remind your teen what to post, what to ignore, what to follow, and what to start. Also, constantly monitor your teen’s accounts and set guidelines.
- Practice what you preach: If you want your teen to be mentally happy, then you must also be mentally happy.
By incorporating the strategies above you can certainly help nurture your teen’s mental wellbeing, helping them navigate and dominate the in-betweens of being a teenager.
When to See your Doctor:
We at Somewhat Zen make no claim that any of the suggestions above can cure any mental or physical ailment. If you have any concerns or questions about any information in this text, please contact your doctor. Additionally, please text or call 988 or visit Lifeline if your teen is talking about suicide.
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