Dealing with stress in a healthy way
Dealing with stress in a healthy way
We live in a fast-paced world. Expectations and demands are high, stress and strain in everyday life are often our daily companion and do not even stop at young people. This cannot be avoided entirely. This makes it all the more important to learn how to deal with it well. Perhaps you are wondering how you can help your teenager deal with worries, pressures, and fears about the future? This article presents techniques and methods parents can use to help strengthen their child's mental health as they grow up.
A healthy approach to stress can be learned!
Parents have a great influence on the development of mental health in the family. Contributing to this can be targeted strategies and techniques to help your child cope well with stress. This includes giving your child self-confidence and building their resilience to cope well during difficult times:
- Whoever is mentally healthy and self-confident can more easily cope with daily challenges in everyday life and at school.
- Who feels strong and confident, can not be thrown off track so quickly by unavoidable hurdles.
- Who feels loved and understood, goes more confidently through times when it does not go so well.
- And who is mindful of his mental health is less at risk of mental illness.
Tips for parents: How to make your child strong and resilient
This advice can be supportive in times of emotional stress and promote the ability to relax:
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Look and ask:
Take time to talk to your child regularly and show them that you are there, even during mentally difficult times. You can ask, "How are you doing?", "How can we support you?", Where are you reaching your limits and where do you need help?", "What can that help look like?" Show honest interest and understanding of concerns and fears.
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Be a role model:
As a parent, you can consciously model a healthy approach to stress for your child. Model how you deal with stressful situations by integrating relaxation techniques into your everyday life yourself. You can find tips on this on the website gesund.bund.de in the article "Relaxation techniques: Which techniques can help against stress". Encourage your child to develop and try out similar strategies.
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Allow time for relaxation and leisure:
Too much time and performance pressure and too many obligations or appointments can lead to stress in both children and adults. It is important to set limits and also to say "no" sometimes. In addition to school and extracurricular activities, it is important to create time and space for rest and relaxation. Help your daughter or son find hobbies or activities that are enjoyable and help relieve stress.
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Ensure sufficient sleep:
Restful sleep is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Those who achieve a healthy amount of sleep are less tired and less irritable.
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Promote a healthy diet:
Often, too much stress results in an unhealthy diet of fatty and sugary foods. In the family, you can create a healthy environment by offering healthy meals and teaching your child the importance of an active lifestyle. Why not cook fresh meals together with your child on a regular basis? In the kitchen, there are often also good opportunities for intensive conversations.
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Physical exercise clears the mind:
Especially in stressful times, the inner pig is often particularly difficult to overcome. But it's worth getting out the bike or putting on your running shoes, for example, especially during stressful times. Encourage your child to exercise. This regulates the stress hormones and ensures the release of happiness hormones. It doesn't matter which sport you choose. Anything that is fun is beneficial, for example dancing, swimming, cycling, jogging and much more.
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Digital Detox more often:
Today, the cell phone is a constant companion in everyday life. The constant accessibility, an endless sensory overload due to the abundance of information, and the negative side effects of social media channels can build up immense stress and demonstrably make people ill. Good advice for all family members is to consciously put away the smartphone more often for a longer period of time. Parents also have a role model function here.
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Develop problem-solving skills:
Stress often stems from a sense of helplessness in difficult situations. By helping your child develop problem-solving skills, you give him or her the tools to overcome challenges. In a variety of situations, encourage your child to find different alternative courses of action and take alternative perspectives. Together, you can discuss the different paths and weigh the pros and cons. Help your child make his or her own decision and support him or her in doing so. Show him that it is normal to make mistakes and that there is always a way to address and overcome problems. By being patient and encouraging, you will help build self-confidence and independence.
Where to find help and advice?
There are many online guides and various free apps that teach meditation, relaxation and mindfulness exercises free of charge to help you get through everyday life more relaxed and mentally stronger. Some apps also offer special content for children and teens to help them cope with stress.
From yoga to tai chi to meditation, most health insurers teach methods for relaxation techniques that have a positive effect on physical health - often even providing partial financial support for participation in prevention courses. Ask your health insurance company whether prevention courses for stress reduction or for learning relaxation techniques are offered and how much they are subsidized.
If you notice that the psychological stress is too high and your child's well-being is severely affected, it may make sense to seek professional help.
On the website of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy e.V. you will find a search function for clinics in your area under "Versorgungsangebote".
The Federal Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists:in also offers a search service on its website.
You can take advantage of a parent consultation free of charge at any time. Contact details can be found here on the Familienportal.NRW.
Contact points for children and young people:
At the bke youth counseling service, young people can find experienced counselors who can offer support and provide help.
The Nummer gegen Kummer can be reached by phone at 0800 1110333 and 116111.
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