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 companions and do not stop at young people. This cannot be completely avoided. This makes it all the more important to learn how to deal with it. Perhaps you are wondering how you can help your teenager deal with worries, pressure and fears about the future? This article presents techniques and methods that parents can use to help strengthen their child's mental health as they grow up.
You can learn to deal with stress in a healthy way!
Parents have a major influence on the development of mental health in the family. Targeted strategies and techniques that help your child to cope well with stress can contribute to this. This includes giving your child self-confidence and building their resilience to cope well in difficult times:
- If you are mentally healthy and self-confident, you can cope more easily with the daily challenges of everyday life and school.
- Those who feel strong and confident are less likely to be thrown off course by unavoidable hurdles.
- Those who feel loved and understood are more confident in times when things are not going so well.
- And those who are mindful of their mental health are less at risk of becoming mentally ill.
Tips for parents: How to make your child strong and resilient
These tips can help 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 for them, even in mentally difficult phases. 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 form can this help take?" Show honest interest and understanding for their worries and fears.
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Be a role model:
As a parent, you can consciously show your child how to deal with stress in a healthy way. Demonstrate how you deal with stressful situations by integrating relaxation techniques into your everyday life. You can find tips on this on the gesund.bund.de website 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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Plan time for relaxation and leisure:
Too much time and pressure to perform and too many commitments or appointments can lead to stress in both children and adults. It is important to set boundaries and say "no" from time to time. In addition to school and extracurricular activities, it is important to create time and space for rest and relaxation. Support your daughter or son in finding hobbies or activities that are enjoyable and help to reduce stress.
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Ensure you get enough sleep:
Restful sleep is one of the best ways to reduce stress. People who get a healthy amount of sleep are less tired and less irritable.
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Promote a healthy diet:
Too much stress often results in an unhealthy diet of fatty and sugary foods. You can create a healthy environment in the family by offering healthy meals and teaching your child the importance of an active lifestyle. Cook fresh meals together with your child on a regular basis. There are often good opportunities for in-depth conversations in the kitchen.
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Physical exercise clears the mind:
Especially in stressful times, the inner bastard is often particularly difficult to overcome. But it's worth getting out your bike or putting on your running shoes, for example, especially in stressful times. Encourage your child to do sport. This regulates the stress hormones and ensures the release of happiness hormones. It doesn't depend on a specific type of sport. Anything that is fun is beneficial, for example dancing, swimming, cycling, jogging and much more.
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Digital detox more often:
Today, our cell phones are a constant companion in our everyday lives. The constant accessibility, endless sensory overload due to the abundance of information and the negative side effects of social media channels can cause immense stress and have been proven to make people ill. A good piece of advice for all family members is to consciously put their smartphones away for longer periods of time. Parents also have a role model function here.
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Develop problem-solving skills:
Stress often arises from a feeling of helplessness in difficult situations. By helping your child to develop problem-solving skills, you give them the tools to overcome challenges. Encourage your child to find different alternative courses of action and adopt alternative perspectives in a variety of situations. You can discuss the various options together and weigh up the pros and cons. Help your child to make their own decision and support them in implementing it. Show them that it is normal to make mistakes and that there is always a way to tackle and overcome problems. By being patient and encouraging, you will help to build self-confidence and independence.
Where can we find help and advice?
There are many online guides and various free apps that provide free meditation, relaxation and mindfulness exercises to help you get through everyday life more relaxed and mentally stronger. Some apps also offer special content for children and young people to help them cope with stress.
From yoga and tai chi to meditation: most health insurance companies teach methods for relaxation techniques that have a positive effect on physical health - they often even subsidize participation in prevention courses to some extent. Ask your health insurance provider whether prevention courses are offered for stress reduction or for learning relaxation techniques and how much they are subsidized.
If you notice that the psychological stress is too high and your child's well-being is severely impaired, it may make sense to seek professional help.
On the website of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, you will find a search function for clinics in your area under "Care services".
The Federal Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists also offers a search service on its website.
You can take advantage of parent counseling free of charge at any time. The Family Guide of Familienportal.NRW will help you quickly and easily find the right service near your home.
Counselling for children and young people:
The bke youth counselling service provides young people with experienced counsellors who can offer support and help.
The Nummer gegen Kummer can be reached on 0800 1110333 and 116111.
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