As parents of teens, it’s essential to pay attention to our children’s mental health, as any issues can have long-term consequences if left unchecked. Fortunately, there are a multitude of activities that can help our kids develop good mental health, chief among them being physical exercise. Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular exercise helps to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, while fortifying resilience in a way that allows teens to better cope with life’s challenges.
Parents have the responsibility to ensure their children get the exercise they need, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a strict taskmaster. Instead, consider ways to make physical activity fun for your teen. Instead of just going to the gym, try on-the-go activities like biking and exploring the great outdoors, or participate in active games like soccer or Frisbee. There are also plenty of virtual mind-body exercises available nowadays as well, such as dance classes, yoga, and even virtual obstacle courses. With a bit of creativity, parents can make sure their teens get the exercise they need while having a great time.
The Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health
When it comes to looking after ourselves, there are few activities that are as important for our overall health as exercise. For teens in particular, exercise plays a vital role in promoting physical and mental health, with a range of benefits that can set up your child for a lifetime of better well-being.
Boost Mood and Self-Esteem
A regular exercise routine can have a positive impact on your teen’s mood, self-confidence and self-esteem. Exercise releases endorphins and dopamine – hormones associated with enhanced wellbeing and happiness – that can help to improve their sense of optimism and positivity. Through improved performance and the pride that comes with meeting physical challenges, exercise can also offer a great opportunity for your teen to increase their self-belief and confidence.
Reduce Stress & Anxiety
The mental turmoil of being a teenager can be overwhelming at times, as they wrestle with the pressures of school and social life. Exercise provides an intense physical distraction which can give teens the time and space required to process stressful thoughts and emotions. It also drains off any built up tensions and frustrations, helping your teen to relax and de-stress. This can be especially helpful if your teen is prone to bouts of anxiety, with physical exercise offering an effective, natural way of helping to manage it.
Improve Cognitive Function
The brain thrives on stimulation, and exercise provides a tremendous boost to cognitive function. This can be seen in the improved concentration and recall that exercise offers, which could be of great assistance to your teen in the classroom. Improved sleep quality can also be linked to exercise, resulting in improved mental clarity which could prove vital for academic pursuits.
Building Resilience
Physical exercise often brings with it a range of challenges that teens must tackle in order to make progress. Setting and reaching fitness goals can help your teen to foster an attitude of resilience and grit, two qualities essential for navigating the trickier aspects of life. It can also give them a greater capacity to cope better with potentially-difficult situations, be it school pressures, social struggles, or interpersonal conflicts.
By supporting your teen to make regular exercise part of their life, you will be empowering them to benefit from the wide range of psychological, emotional and cognitive benefits that it brings. So nurturing a positive attitude to exercise in your teen today can provide them with the necessary foundations for a happy and healthy life.
Recognizing Signs of Mental Health Issues in Teens
Looking for Signs of Unhappiness
Unhappiness in teens can be hard to distinguish from the usual teenage moodiness and angst. However, it’s important for parents to take pauses and observe their teen’s behaviors and attitudes. Some key signs to look out for are sudden changes in behavior; withdrawing from friends or activities they usually enjoy, unexpected changes within their sleep patterns and appetite. Generally, if the behaviors are out of character, parents should start to become more alert and attempt to further understand what is happening.
Taking Time to Check In
It’s essential for parents to make time for meaningful conversations with their teens in order to gain insight into how they are feeling. Check-in conversations are valuable opportunities to ask open-ended questions and create an accepting, open atmosphere. It’s important to listen without judgement and express encouragement to seek help. We may not always be able to interpret the signs of mental health issues, and it can be hard to tell how to best support our teens. It is important to remember that all teens are different, so it is always encouraged to seek the assistance of a qualified professional.
Supporting Your Teen’s Mental Health
When it comes to parenting teens, supporting their mental health often feels like uncharted territory for many parents. After all, it’s easy to provide your teens with the basics: homemade cookies, shouts of encouragement to study for their tests, and other forms of guidance every parent likes to provide. But when it comes to more serious issues like mental health, sometimes it can feel a little bit intimidating. Fear not, parents! There are simple and effective ways to provide your teens with the support and help they need in order to have the best mental health possible.
Encourage Physical Activity
It’s no secret that exercise is great for our physical health, but its benefits carry over to our mental health as well. Encourage your teen to move their body in some way every day, whether it’s through running, biking, swimming, or just taking a long walk. Oftentimes, physical activity can help alleviate depressive and anxious thoughts, especially when practiced regularly. And if your teen isn’t into exercise, that’s okay too! Encourage them to look for ways to move their body that don’t feel like “exercise”; for example, getting lost in an art project or going for a drive with their friends. The important part is that they are still moving their body and taking care of their mental health.
Model Healthy Habits
In order to properly support your teen, it’s essential to model healthy behavior yourself. If you practice healthy habits and treat your mental health with respect, your teen will be more likely to do the same. It can also be helpful to talk openly about mental health, whether it’s with your teen or other adults in their life. This can be as simple as talking about how you’re feeling during particularly stressful periods or setting up a time for your teen to talk to a professional if needed. Modeling healthy behaviors is one of the best ways to show that mental health is important and should be taken seriously.
In the end, it’s important to remember that each teen’s mental health needs are unique. Encouraging physical activity and modeling healthy habits are key steps in helping your teen to develop and maintain good mental health. Lastly, remember to provide support and listen to your teen, and don’t be afraid to direct them to a professional if needed.
No matter how you look at it, exercise has proven to be an advantageous tool that parents can use to boost their teens’ mental health and well-being. Regular physical activities can benefit teens drastically by reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms while strengthening their resilience. As parents, it’s of the utmost importance that we take the necessary steps to understand the signs of mental health problems our teens might be facing. And with that understanding, we can better equip ourselves to support our teens in making healthy choices, like engaging in exercise, to promote better mental health.
So by further recognizing the power exercise holds in nurturing the mental health of our teens, it’s up to us as parents to provide them with the proper support and resources necessary for them to succeed. As you can see, encouraging your teens to be active and providing them with safe ways to exercise is an important way that we can actively participate in the mental health and well-being of our teens. The possibilities are truly endless and it’s up to us as parents to seize the opportunity to help our teens succeed.