Taking Care of Your Teen's Mental Health Before College: 6 Significant Tips

Parents often give little thought to their children's transition to college. But the truth is: this is a weighty matter that you should handle with utmost importance.

Studies show that there is a rise in mental health concerns among college students. College counselors report dealing with teens who are more stressed than in previous years.

In this guide, you'll learn the importance of promoting your teen's mental health. You will also discover their stress triggers before we jump into the tips you can use to support their mental health. Let's get started.

Why is it Important to Promote Your Teen's Mental health?

It is vital to promote your teen's mental health because:

• Teens enjoying excellent mental health excel in school
• They have a more positive outlook
• Such teens develop strong relationships in life
• They are often involved in community activities
• They have a higher resilience- bouncing back quickly from life's disappointments
• They are confident and easily adaptable

What Causes Teens’ Distress?

Children are often more anxious during their first college year. Here are some of the reasons why:

• Higher academic pressure
• Change in the social environment
• Consuming too much social media
• Handling their lives independently
• Time management and organization challenges
• Lack of a solid support network

What Tips Can You Use to Help Your Teen's Mental Health?

There are various strategies you can take to promote your child's mental health. As you prepare them for their next life chapter, remember to:

1. Avoid Fixing Every Issue

We all want to help our teenagers at the slightest sign of difficulty. But, you should quit attempting to repair everything. Assure them that it's alright not to feel okay, especially when they're anxious. Instead of trying to fix their problems, you should aim to acknowledge their feelings.

2. Teach Them How to Plan Ahead

Teaching teens to plan ahead will limit a lot of stress. These teachings include:

• Managing their time
• Preparing how they'll handle challenging situations
• Completing huge assignments

Remember to discourage them from procrastinating since it'll increase their stress levels.

3. Develop Self-soothing Strategies

Your kids should have a strategy whenever difficult situations threaten to take over. Teach them to analyze the situation effectively as per Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Then they can store that in their phone and access it whenever complex situations pop up!

"What is the worst that can happen?", should also be a question you've taught them to ask themselves when in a fix. Often, they'll realize their problem may not be as huge as they think.

4. List Down Stress-Relieving Activities

Find ways to help your teen build enjoyable, stress-relieving hobbies into their days. Whether they enjoy playing football or painting, you should encourage them to stay active because inactivity often leads to stress.

5. Carve Out Relaxation Time

Encourage your teen to unwind when stressed. Teenagers find it calming to sit quietly alone or take brisk walks. You should also not downplay the power of prayer. Those who constantly practice religion and believe in God seem to be calmer and happier in life. Therefore, building a robust prayer foundation in your child is vital in preparing them for their next chapter.?

6. Limit Social Media

Once your kid sets off to school, there is little you can do about how they'll manage their social media usage. But, you can prepare your teen for college by instilling screen-time discipline. While social media is not entirely wrong, it will lead to peer pressure if not properly managed.?

So, teaching them to set social media restrictions can come in handy. In fact, most teens feel emotionally free after hours of unplugging from social media.