It is too often that teenagers are expected to be a perfect version of themselves. Too often they are expected to adapt to difficult situations with support that can only be described as mediocre at best. Too often are they expected to succeed as they struggle to transition into a more challenging stage of life that is not as accommodating as childhood had once been. How long are they capable of putting up a facade that portrays them as positive, ever-so-resilient adolescents?
Mental health issues have a heavy impact on education, which is considered to be a very important part of a teenager’s life. Even before the onset of COVID-19, teenagers have had high suicide rates across nations. The inability to access the support that they need in addition to the prevalent stigma that they had been subjected to can account for these significant figures. Psychological instabilities have and will only increase in number as the regularity of life is disrupted during these tumultative times. Shying away from accessing help tends to stem from the ignorance that we project onto ourselves. A good first step in taking care of our mental health is to understand how it affects our daily lives, practice self-care and identify ways in which we can help ourselves. Preventative measures can be taken to ensure that we are safeguarding our wellbeing.
A person’s choices and lifestyle is heavily dependent on their mindset. If someone is suffering from a mental health disorder, they are typically inclined to practicing unhealthy behaviours that have an impact on their day-to-day lives. Some of these behaviours include, but are not limited to:
Having an irregular sleep schedule (e.g. sleeping too much or too little, or at untimely periods of the day)
Isolating themselves from others
Changes to eating habits
Unhealthy work-life balance
Negative stress or disrupted moods
Consistently avoiding issues that arise
It is important to be aware of yourself and notice when certain warning signs are affecting you and your daily activities. Education is greatly impacted by these small changes because school is such a present factor in many people’s lives. When marks drop, so does morale. By becoming more aware, you can be more conscious of the steps that you need to take to have more control over your life. An ideal way to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed is trying to find something that works best for you; everyone is different and therefore, individuals respond differently to various approaches.
The main preventative measure that many people like to take is to schedule their days using productivity applications and calendar applications on a laptop and phone. These applications include Notion, Microsoft To-Do and Google Calendar. Organization can also be improved by using Excel spreadsheets to set up a method to make note of classes and due dates that align with the semester, in addition to physical planners that can be used in school to take quick notes.
Having good nutrition, getting physical activity and having a good work-personal-social life balance is key to maintaining a healthy mindset in combination with staying organized. These habits take time to develop, but the benefits outweigh the downsides significantly. To have a balance, you have to assess your motivational factors and implement them into your day-to-day life so that you have a reason to seek stability. Good nutrition starts with healthy meals and a proper diet. Physical activity does not have to include a full-blown workout plan - a simple half-hour walk would be adequate. Finding out what works best can be a challenge at first, but it becomes easier once you discover the patterns behind your habits.
Most importantly, being kind to oneself is essential when the going gets tough. Remember: it is okay to not be okay.
Emily Antoney Jeromeous is a grade 12 student in the Health & Wellness sector of SHSM in a high school based in Markham, Ontario. Her favourite subjects are English and Biology and she is interested in pursuing a STEM career in the future. Some of her favourite things to do involve discovering new opportunities, volunteering, and becoming more conscious of the social climate regarding today’s ever-changing world.
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