The reasons why teens seem anxious, how to make the most of this time? and see the brighter side of the picture and Teenagers brains work differently than adult brains. Developing independence and freedom is one of the central parts of being a teenager, and at the same time, they’re also relying on the impulse areas of their brains rather than the decision-making areas of their brains.
Collectively that means they are much more focused on living for today having fun, testing boundaries, and exploring their identity by being reckless rather than following rules.
Collectively that means they are much more focused on living for today having fun, testing boundaries, and exploring their identity by being reckless rather than following rules.
Teens Mental health in lockdown
The main reasons why teenagers are struggling with lockdown are:
1)Missing social contact:
Imagine seeing your friends every day and then suddenly not being able to spend time with them at
all.
Imagine seeing your friends every day and then suddenly not being able to spend time with them at
all.
2)Missing peers support:
Young people are more likely to talk about their problems with other young people, they may feel like their support network has been taken away.
3)Lack of personal space:
Young people with younger siblings might feel relied upon to pick up some of the caring duties and keep younger children occupied which can make teenagers feel stuck with no personal space.
4)Getting away from family arguments:
The stress of lockdown is tough for parents as well, who may be feeling more stressed or arguing more. This may increase young people’s need to get out of the house
5)Not affected:
Young peoples may feel like COVID-19 isn’t going to affect them. They are young and not likely to get seriously ill, so it’s hard to understand the wider societal impacts that breaking the lockdown rules might have.
6)Feeling anxious and stressed:
Everyone’s mental health will be affected by changes in routine, sleep, exercise, food patterns and more and teenagers may be leaving the house to stop themselves from lashing out or getting upset.
How should you deal with it?
The first thing to do is to have an open conversation with your parents and talk to them about why you are struggling to stay inside. That way you can look together for solutions that would help alleviate the situation.
Things that might help:
1)Try making a gratitude bullet journal where you write each thing that you have and are very grateful for it since we often forget what we have in the pursuit of what we want.
2)Enhance your skills to prepare yourself for post-quarantine time, It will take time but sun will always rise after thunderstorm no matter how long the latter stays. You can do this by learning a new language on duolingo, learning the skills of designing a game online on Udemy for free and learn more than just what is taught in school by doing some online courses on Coursera and Harvard edx.
3)Try adopting a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and daily workout. Use the Compass nutrition and oladoc websites which can help you maintain health and fitness. They can also address health-related issues and
diseases.
4) Maintain a diary where you write down 1 good deed you do each day. This will motivate you to become a better version of yourself each day.
5)Start vlogging or make a blog about anything that inspires you.
6)If you can cook and bake then start a food delivery service of home-cooked food in this quarantine. It will help you polish your skills.
7) Start freelancing (graphic designing, Research article writing, thesis etc if you want to help your parents with your funding when you go to a university or a college.
8) Start gardening, the process itself will help calm yourself and you will be able to breathe in fresh air.
9) Be creative and start doing painting, sketching, and calligraphy. You can do this all for fun and enhance your already established skills or perhaps start with learning new ones.
10)If writing is your skill then start earning money for it by joining online writing contests.
Parenting teens in lockdown:
None of we were given any skills in parenting through a pandemic. It’s challenging and it’s important to acknowledge that. Here are some tips for parenting teenagers.
First and foremost, take care of yourself:
As a parent, self-care often slips to the bottom of the list. But right now its more important than ever. Be realistic and lower your expectations for yourself. Focus on things that you can control and allow time for yourself. Perhaps a walk, along with a hot shower, exercise, mediation, or read a book. Find one thing to feel the position or grateful about every day.
Remember that you are not alone and connect (virtually)with family and friends.
Remember that you are not alone and connect (virtually)with family and friends.
Setting clear expectations for staying safe is difficult:
Teenagers tend to feel invincible and may not recognize the importance of social distancing. This is not because they don’t care about others; it is because developing mentally, socially, and connecting with peers is especially important. Help them to understand that their actions and safety measures not only protect them but also protect their loved ones.
Teenagers tend to feel invincible and may not recognize the importance of social distancing. This is not because they don’t care about others; it is because developing mentally, socially, and connecting with peers is especially important. Help them to understand that their actions and safety measures not only protect them but also protect their loved ones.
Spend time to talk about emotions:
It’s important to talk and listen to your teens. They may be feeling the loss of social connections and missing out on life experiences (e.g, sports, competition, class trips). Try not to jump in and solve their problems but focus on showing compassion, validating their feeling, and let them know that you are there for them.
Navigating through boredom:
Your teen is likely to be bored. Boredom breeds creativity. Encourage your teen to be creative, find their own interest. Learn a new language, start a journal, create artwork, hands-on projects, music, dance ,poetry, cook, bake, or simply let them daydream.
Conclusion:
Think of lockdown as an opportunity rather than a threat. You have time to focus on yourself, learn new skills, add stuff to your portfolio, earn money, and most importantly become a better person. Make the most of this time so that when it ends you don’t have to say I wish I had spent it more productively. Before lockdown, life was a race but now it is like a time where each individual has been allowed to find their own pace, chase their own dreams since there is no
comparison with the outside world. So here is to finding who you are and polishing your strengths so that you are ready for whatever lies ahead of you.
comparison with the outside world. So here is to finding who you are and polishing your strengths so that you are ready for whatever lies ahead of you.
For a better insight on how lockdown gives us time to think about some key things that you have neglected your entire life, check this post.
