We found this research study about adolescents’ relationships with their parents and we thought it was interesting.
This is why we think this resource is helpful: it supports that the better a family communicates, the more satisfied they are and the less disagreements they have. Also, the better family communication, the higher the teen’s self-esteem!
We came across an article about creating Self-Care Cards for yourself that you can print off, design and slip into your wallet, purse or pocket. These little cards have really good tools on them that can help you through a rough moment.
One of the things I really liked in these cards was the grounding techniques listed.
When having rough moment, it can be hard to come back into the present and your body. Using grounding exercises can help you come back to yourself so that you can calm down mindfully. This can be difficult for adults and even more so for adolescents.
Tell us if you decide to download the cards and make the booklet for yourself or your adolescent! Do you think this is a useful tool? How and where would you use it? How would your adolescent benefit?
This TED talk about ‘What is Depression?’ is a great way to share what is happening to someone when they are experiencing depression.
Do you keep a journal? This article writes about how journaling, even for just a few minutes a day, can help you with your mental and physical health!
Here are some interesting facts from the article:
Being mindful can have huge effects on you life! One way to help increase your mindfulness is to use a mindfulness app on your phone. One we recommend is Calm (iOS or Android) or your can visit the Calm.com website. We think that using technology to our benefit is a great way to help adolescents (and ourselves) connect with themselves.
What is happiness, and how can we all get some? Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.
What habits of Happiness do you already practice? What new ones would you like to add to your life? Would you practice happiness habits together with your child?
We previously shared an article with teens about talking to their parents. However, we realize that talking with your teen can be just as tough for parents as it is for teenagers. Therefore, we thought we would put together some suggestions for talking with your child and request your feedback!
Some pointers we think can work for you to start a conversation as a parent are:
Sometimes it can be hard to concentrate on the task at hand. And it has been shown that music can be calming, relaxing, and useful to help tune out the world and focus. However, not all music is created the same for each listener, and the type of music matters. According to an article published by The Guardian “music you like increases focus, while music you don’t impedes (or disrupts) it.” Read more from this article and other articles on the benefits of music by visiting the following links:
“The important thing is to keep trying to quit, until you quit for good.” – American Lung Association
quitSTART is a free app made for teens who want to quit smoking, but adults can use it too. This app takes the information you provide about your smoking history and gives you tailored tips, inspiration, and challenges to help you have a smoke-free and healthier life.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in America. The condition affects 40 million adults in the United States. That’s 18 percent of the U.S. population!!
However, despite this, people with anxiety disorders still live with the stigma that is often associated with invisible conditions. The Mighty asked their readers what living with Anxiety was like, and how they tackled living with it. It is important for you to know that you are not alone in this journey and you are not isolated. One of the reasons we have the SOVA website is to connect you with a supportive community and resources to help you with your journey.
