Mental health is about creating a lifestyle of balance and reducing the impact of long term stress.

Stress is a natural part of life and can be a positive motivation for a person to perform well (a test, a presentation, an athletic event).

Stress can also be negative and debilitating. Stress can be triggered by different life challenges, and what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another.

It is important to recognize what causes stress for you, especially the negative kind.

What causes you to feel stressed out?

There are many different ways to handle stress:

• Meditating
• Wellness breathing
• Playing an instrument or listening to music
• Writing in a journal
• Creating a piece of art
• Doing physical exercise
• Hanging out with friends
• Talking to a trusted friend/adult

There are 4 important dimensions to wellness: physical, social, mental and spiritual.

1. Physical wellness includes health skills such as good nutrition and fitness.
   • Good diet, sleep, and exercise
   • Take breaks so you can recharge
   • Spend less time on digital devices, social media, screens
   • Avoid tobacco products and other harmful substances

   
   

2. Social wellness includes communication skills that help us communicate with others in positive ways.
   • Spend time with friends
   • Build healthy relationships
   • Ask for help when needed
   • Set a daily routine
   • Try new things
   • Volunteer

   
   

3. Mental wellness includes self-awareness and managing emotions.
   • Allow yourself to feel your full range of emotions without judgement
   • Create dedicated “me” time
   • Give yourself daily positive affirmations
   • Do things that bring you joy (play, read, sing, doodle, cook, watch a movie)
   • Practice gratitude. Find 3 things each day that are good in your life
   • Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
   • Talk to someone when you need support (a friend, counselor, teacher, therapist)

   
   

4. Spiritual wellness includes grounding or mindfulness practices.
   • Learn to be in the moment
   • Create work/school-life balance
   • Define your values and live by them
   • Set healthy boundaries and clear priorities for yourself
   • Get in touch with your inner spirit
   • Spend time in nature
   • Find purpose and meaning

It is important to make regular physical activity part of your lifestyle. When you are physically healthy, you are better able to cope with teenage challenges.

Short Term Benefits of physical activity:

• Reduces tension, stress, anger, frustration, and mental fatigue
• Increases focus and motivation
• Contributes to feelings of self achievement
• Increases energy
• Creates an outlet to have fun and connect with other teens

Long Term Benefits of physical activity:

• Healthy heart and brain function
• Decreased risk of depression and anxiety
• A positive self image
• Foundation for long term well being

Good nutrition and healthy food is important to maintain mental health.

Things to consider:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
• Eat a balanced diet
• Cut back on soda, and sugar
• Limit bad fats
• Increase vegetables

We all need to get good sleep to help our brains refresh and recharge.
Teens need 8-10 hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

Suggestions to help with your sleep routine:

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine
• Make your room a restful environment - cool, 66 degrees, dark, quiet
• Include physical activity in your daily routine
• Avoid caffeine after noon (tea/coffee, soda, chocolate)
• Wake up at the same time every day
• Avoid screen time an hour before bedtime

Social media plays an important role in teens’ lives. A 2018 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 750 adolescents between the ages of 13 to 17 found that 45% are online almost constantly and 97% use a social media platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat.

What are the impacts of social media on teens?

Social Media Benefits

Social Media allows teens to:

• Create online identities
• Communicate with others
• Build social networks
• Use social media for entertainment and self expression
• Access current events
• Interact across geographic barriers
• Learn about a variety of subjects, including healthy behaviors

Social Media Concerns

Social media can negatively affect teens by:

• Distracting them
• Disrupting their sleep
• Exposing them to bullying
• Creating a venue for rumor spreading
• Forming unrealistic views of other people’s lives
• Exposing them to peer pressure

High levels of social media use is linked to worse sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression.

Healthy Ways to Engage with Social Media

• Set reasonable limits, don’t let social media interfere with your activities, sleep, meals or homework.
• Turn your phone off at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep and use the “do not disturb” feature.
• Set a time limit for gaming. Take breaks to go outside. Don’t let gaming replace time spent in person with friends.
• Choose a friend or family member to unplug with and hold each other accountable.
• Know what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.

Remember:

• It’s not ok to use technology to gossip, spread rumors, bully or damage someone’s reputation online.
• Face-to-face contact with friends and family is important.

Click here to see: Tips for Managing Digital Devices, Social Media, Gaming