As parents, you have a tremendous amount of influence on your children, and with their teenage years being some of their most formidable and uncertain ones, it is an opportune time to help them build resilience.
Having resilience does not mean they will not experience difficulties in life, but they will be more equipped to deal with them once they do. So, in the matter of cultivating the ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress, the earlier, the better. The resilience skills you help them develop can stay with them for the rest of their lives, enabling them to experience happier and more emotionally developed lives.
Encourage And Engage In Effective Communication
There are countless things you can say to your teenager to help them during stressful or challenging times, like reminding them never to give up in the face of hopelessness or adversity or not to become so easily discouraged by their failures or mistakes. While much of what you say may have a lasting, positive impact or help them feel better when you say it, it’s what you do that will help them learn to foster these positive, helpful reminders for themselves.
Engaging in regular conversation with them will not only demonstrate to your teen that you care about their daily life and schooling, but it will also help them develop effective communication and problem-solving skills outside of the home. Effective communication is essential to resilience and can help your teen deal with some matters such as arguments with friends before they even become a problem, or at least worse of one.
Teach Positive Coping Techniques
Demonstrate to your teen they can handle whatever comes their way by encouraging them to engage in positive self-talk. Teach them about the power of positive affirmations to build resilience and redirect their mindset and perspective. Teach them about meditation or journaling as ways to both connect to and release their emotions and thoughts. Motivate them to exercise as a healthy way to relieve stress.
Allow Them To Display Vulnerabilities
When it comes to displaying vulnerabilities as a parent, one of the most beneficial things you can do is lead by example. Allow your teen to be open about their emotions by first being open with them. You can do this by normalizing therapy and seeking support or sharing with them some of your struggles and times of stress, along with some of the healthy ways you cope.
Encourage Self-Care And Solitude
So much happens throughout a day in the life of teenagers, and even more goes on in their minds that makes matters worse. Whether it’s peer pressure, self-criticism, bullying, or school-related stress, it is vital for your teen to have an outlet and time away from it all. Encourage them to participate in activities or hobbies they enjoy. Continually reinforce the importance of sleep, exercise, and eating well. Also, remind them that spending some time alone is just as beneficial as maintaining social connections, just in different ways.
Help Them To Accept Change
If anyone knows about change, it’s teenagers. But how often are they slowing down enough to acknowledge and accept it? It will benefit your teen if you teach them the importance of stepping back and examining all they have endured and accomplished, especially if they feel overwhelmed. Encourage them to pause and look at what is going well. Help them to define goals that will keep them focused in the face of adversity.
We know that the past year has been tough, especially for teens! The ongoing stress, fear, and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has been tough for everyone – especially teens! Now, many teens are experiencing increased levels of depression and anxiety that shouldn’t be left untreated.
There are many safe and effective treatments for anxiety and depression that can help you move forward in mental wellness. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team!
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