Mental Health for Teens: How to Look After Your Well-Being during Tough Times?
By:
Sayantika Chatterjee
Mental illness can affect anyone and affects how we feel, think or act. It's very crucial for us that we know how to cope with stressful situations at every stage of our lives along with working productively and contributing to the community at the same time. However, the statistics highlight a more horrifying picture. Over 40% of teens suffer from a mental disorder and one in five teens suffer from a severe mental illness. And pandemic, unfortunately, is making the situation worse.
Studies concluded that there are many causes behind mental illnesses, ranging from a person’s genetics to external factors like family and peer pressure. But what matters the most is how can control those negative thoughts and come out stronger than before. Hence, we have prepared a list of ways on how to look after your well-being during the crisis and not let yourself break down.
- Look After Your Self-Esteem
We know social media is your best friend and the worst enemy during the last year, and it can control your self-confidence and esteem to the core. Self-esteem entails more than just recognizing one's own positive traits. It is the opportunity to consider all of your strengths and shortcomings, embrace them, and do your best for what you have. Make a note of all the positive sides you have, ask your close ones if you are confused. Now make a list of the opposite. Analyze how is it determining your life. Work on them if you feel like they are essential to you, and if not, let them go.
- Look For “True” Friends
We know that you are helpless when it comes to judging people. Ask yourself, who are going to stand by you during troubles. Look after their actions minutely. Maybe ask your elders too. Friends make you realize you are not alone. They assist you by expressing your ups and downs, and you assist them in return. You and your mates share life's struggles as well as its joys. Toxic friendships can totally ruin your mood and self-confidence easily.
- Participate in Activities As Much As You Can
Being interested in activities that are important to us gives us a sense of meaning and fulfillment. You should still note that you make a difference, no matter how large or tiny your contributions are. Read the book of children in the nearby library; visit a local older person at home or hospital; work on your favorite organizational board; arrange a local park cleaning or beach clean-up; help a friend clean up the garage.
- Do Some Mindful Introspection
Teach yourself to be in grace. Learn who you are: what makes you truly happy, what you really love. Learn to reconcile what you can do and what you can't do. Get the inner self to know and trust. Set still, good time aside to be truly isolated. Do the respiratory exercise—try to take one to four breaths and then re-start. Or do anything that you want to do, such as dance, playing football, creating a birdhouse, something that fits you.
- Always Talk With Someone
Never dare to suppress your feelings for long, or else, it's going to have a drastic effect on your mental health. Trust us on this, sharing your feelings actually helps. And if you feel that you are not sure about sharing your feelings with someone, journals always come to the rescue. Write your feelings down, this way you can feel better about yourself and acknowledge your feelings.
Mental health is a very sensitive issue and we often get hurt in the path of finding solutions. Adolescence is a vulnerable period and one word or action can change your thought process forever. You can't always control the external factors but you can when it comes to you. So the power is in your hands.
