Seize the Awkward is a website that wants visitors to do just that: starting and having those awkward conversations about mental health and illnesses. Huge factors such as stigma and the fear of saying the wrong thing can make it, well, awkward, to open up about what someone might be going through or to check in on someone that you’re concerned about, but these conversations are necessary and could be life-saving. Continue reading Seizing the Awkward with Coronavirus
How many social media accounts do you have? A Pew research study found that about 75% of adults have more than one social media account. This number is likely to be pretty high in teens and adolescents who grew up with technology and social media.
Not all social media platforms are created equal, though. Some serve different purposes, like how some are likely to use Twitter for news and Instagram to share their creative photography. Despite these different purposes however, there’s been a lot of overlap now that these platforms share a lot of features and have a lot of users on them.
With that all being said, the aesthetics of the site, the people you follow, and how those people share and post content can affect you differently depending which one you’re on. For some, these different feelings might be obvious, but it’s likely that you’re unable to tell because of the sheer amount of accounts that you may be cycling through. After a while, using these sites may all blur together, which may also contribute to that overwhelming, stressful feeling you might get by spending a lot of time on social media.
If it seems like your child is feeling overwhelmed by social media, or even if it seems like they’re mentally not feeling their best, it might help to have them apply some organization tips towards their phone, tablet, or computer. By spending a few minutes on the social media platforms they’re actively using, they can attempt to separate them and spend some time asking themselves questions about how each make them feel.
They can write down these feelings about each platform, and afterwards take a few minutes to see which exactly are causing particular stronger negative emotions. They can ask yourself questions such as, “Why is this platform making me feel like this?” “Is this platform worth keeping?” “How can I improve my experience on this platform?”
Hopefully, by taking a step back and evaluating exactly which platforms are affecting them and why these platforms are doing so can give your child some time to self-reflect and find ways to improve not just their social media experience, but their mood and mental health overall.
What are the social media platforms that you use the most frequently? What about your child? Do you have more than one? Have you noticed if you feel differently depending on which one you’re on?
The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
I’m sure we’ve all been looking for solace in writing about the situation we’re all dealing with. I know that for those with anxiety, depression, or any other mental illnesses are feeling much more stress than usual. I myself deal with anxiety and have really had to adjust to this situation.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw a post that was shared on Facebook. A user had written out several mental heath tips from a psychologist on dealing with quarantine. I picked out a few that resonated with me the most and the ones that were most helpful for me. I hope they help you as well!
In following the advice of this post, I’ve found that I feel much more grounded and less anxious when I have an established routine. For me, that means getting up around the same time every day, showering, eating breakfast, working for a few hours, eating lunch, reading and playing some music, working some more, exercising, eating dinner, and evening down time.
Having hobbies other than watching TV is incredibly important for me as well. I look at this time as an opportunity to dive into some books that have been sitting on my shelf unread, try some new workouts, and cook some new recipes.
Most of all, it’s a time where I can practice self-acceptance. I’ve made it a point to journal every day, which has becoming a healing practice. And if you haven’t made time for that already, I highly encourage it!
Stay well, friends.
Have you received or seen any advice about coping during quarantine? What kind of advice are you specifically looking for? Do you think your child could benefit from any of the advice above?
The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
Since everything has changed around us, I find myself in a “motivational funk.” I find it hard to focus on my online school, keep up with my studies and even write this blog post. Continue reading Quarantine and Motivation
Sometimes we watch, read, or listen to things that we might be embarrassed to admit. These are often known as “guilty pleasures,” or the things we’re ashamed of admitting that we like. It may be because these are considered to be tacky, basic, or are things that are often made fun of by the general public. So when we do admit that we enjoy these things, we quickly want to defend ourselves – hence calling them as “guilty pleasures” when talking about them out loud. Continue reading “Guilty Pleasures”
Netflix may be one of your primary coping mechanisms during this time. With the wide, endless array of content that they have to offer, from documentaries that are stranger than fiction, reality shows with people that you need to hate-watch, to old sitcoms that feel like comfort food, the access to Netflix’s catalog is the escape some of us need. Continue reading Wanna Talk About It?
It’s not uncommon to be anxious to meet new people or be in a new, unfamiliar environment. It’s also not uncommon to feel terrified before performing something in front of a crowd, whether it be alone or with others. It’s also not uncommon to even feel a little bit nervous meeting people you’re comfortable with and know pretty well. Continue reading Navigating the Internet with Social Anxiety
The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
When quarantine first began, my head wasn’t fully wrapped around on what was happening. I honestly thought that it would be more of a time where I would get two weeks out of school and everything else would be normal. Continue reading Quarantine and Mental Health
The demographics in the United States have shifted significantly. The Pew Research Center reported that there were 44.4 million immigrants living in the country in 2017, making up 13.6% of the total population. The increase in the immigrant population in the United States also means an increase in second-generation Americans – those who are born in the United States to immigrant parents (some people may also refer to these people as first-generation Americans, however). The number of second-generation immigrants was nearly as much back in 2013 at 36 million, making up 12% of the population. Continue reading How Mental Health Affects Second-Generation Adolescents
We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big and how small, being able to name anything positive can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s being able to acknowledge the good things at the end of the day or being able to look back and read them if you’re feeling down, remembering that there are always good things that can happen, even when it doesn’t feel like it and knowing there’s a light when things feel bleak can make the biggest difference. Continue reading Acknowledging the Good as They Occur