Hi everyone! Welcome, or welcome back, to The Teen Safe Zone where it's safe for teens to be themselves! With September being such a crucial month of representing mental health, (National Suicide Prevention Month, Self-Care Awareness Month, and many more), I decided to share tips on taking care of your mental health as a teen or student!
Being a teenager has its ups and downs, whether it be from internal or external sources. Learning how to efficiently take care of your mental health can be confusing or overwhelming. It's difficult to talk about your struggles without convincing yourself that you're being a burden to others. It's hard to admit that sometimes you're not okay.
Below, I have listed tips for fellow teenagers and students that can help you take care of and focus on your mental health. As I always say, you are not alone in this battle, and that there are millions of other people out there struggling with the same thing(s) as you are. Make this world a better place even with the smallest positive interactions.
Tips For Taking Care Of Your Mental Health:
The first tip I have for taking care of your mental health is to stop being so hard on yourself. This applies to every area in your life; school performance, work, hobbies, etc. Sometimes we can be our own worst critics and not even notice it. Not all of the time our struggles come from external sources, but rather, from ourselves. Stop focusing on the things you haven't done yet, and focus on all of the things you have already accomplished. You are most likely doing so much better in life than you think. The little things we worry about won't even matter next week, a month from now, or even years down the road. Start turning your negative thoughts into positive ones. Learn to be your own cheerleader.
The second tip I would like to share relates to the first one, and that is to remind yourself that you don't have to do everything at once. I know looking at your to-do list can be extremely overwhelming to the point you start procrastinating from stress as I do this all the time. Make sure to give yourself a friendly reminder to take small steps. You don't need to complete everything at once. Try focusing on a task a day and watch it build up over a week!
The third tip is to remember to take breaks. You don't need to study for 8+ hours just to be a successful student. You don't need to work all hours of the day. Remember to take breaks for yourself. Don't overwhelm yourself with school, work, etc. If you notice yourself doing this, break out of this habit now before it gets even worse. Remember that it's okay to do the things you enjoy.
The fourth tip is to detox from screen time or social media. Screen time plays a big role in your mental health. Studies have shown that people who spend less time on their screens have improved sleep schedules, clearer concentration, and improved mental health. Our screens are a huge distraction. There's an entire world out there that we can explore. There are so many people out there to meet. Start with trying a day out with limited or no screen time and see how much better your day will go!
The fifth tip is to remind yourself that not everything you see on social media is true. It is so simple to scroll on social media and see all of the things you don't have. This is an open door for comparison and envy. Remember, you are right where you should be in life. You don't need materialistic things to make you happy. No one's life is picture-perfect. Everyone has their own struggles. You only see what people want you to see on social media.
The sixth tip is that it's okay to not be okay. As a teenager, or any age in life for that matter, you are going to have days where you feel on top of the world and days where you don't. It's okay to not be okay but it's not okay to stay that way. Whenever you notice your mental health is getting worse, take action right away to find the roots of the problem. Never let your mental health continue decreasing, as it will only get worse. Take a day or so out of the week to dedicate to yourself. Have journaling days, self-care days/nights, etc.
The seventh tip is to never be afraid to reach out for help. I know it can be scary to reach out for help, but it's necessary. Reach out to a trusted loved one or friend and express to them how you're feeling. There are also numerous mental health hotlines out there that you can contact. Never be afraid to reach out for help. Many people feel that they are alone and they don't find out that they have a great support system until it's too late. Don't let that be your story.
I hope you all enjoyed the tips featured in today's post! Remember that you are never alone in this battle. Today I challenge you to write out a list of things you think you need to improve with in your mental health and attempt to take action in improving your mental health this month.
With September being a huge advocate for mental health, how can you make this world a better place for your peers and even strangers? What small acts of kindness can you do to show others that you care?
If you want to contact me about anything, please visit the "Contact Us" page on this blog where we can privately talk! New posts every Sunday! - Lexi
I hope everyone has had a wonderful week since our last post! MAJOR LIFE UPDATE: I just got my driver's permit yesterday! It's so crazy to think that I'm driving now lol. Anyways, I wanted to make a post just for tips on taking care of your mental health in honor of September being National Suicide Prevention Month and Self-Care Awareness Month. I hope you all found these tips helpful. Remember to check on your friends and family because you never know the struggles someone might be going through. See you all next Sunday (hopefully I continue being on schedule lol).