Taking Care of You
“This goes hand in hand with expectations parents place on their children. While it’s important for parents to expect children to do their best, sometimes the expectations can be beyond what the child is capable of and cause undue stress.” Overwhelming pressures lead to physical or emotional breakdowns, in the form of fatigue, exhaustion, or emotional upset. Lack of sleep or poor eating habits may also be a sign for help.
Ease stress with self-care
Self-care involves practices that aim to reduce stress and enhance wellbeing. While adults may sometimes use self-care merely as a reward, both adults and teens
need to make these habits part of their regular routines. These practices may help prevent a larger emotional crisis.
>Build an emotional safety kit, complete with items you turn to in times of stress.
>Take a quiz to assess your self-care, and uncover ways to reduce stressful behaviors. These domains consider the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual areas of your life.
>Practice mindfulness to invite calmness. Focus on each inhale and exhale to slow and deepen your breaths. Awareness of breathing helps you gain perspective of the stressor.
>Set goals for self-care maintenance. Look for practices you know are important to your wellbeing across all domains of self-care, and commit to doing them regularly.
Dr. Fletcher encourages self-care habits, especially for teens, to include eight hours of sleep every night, at least one hour of exercise most days of the week, eating a balanced diet, and participating in activities that make them feel good about themselves.