by Chase King and Lara Middleton
Anxiety, depression and stress are constantly thrown around in our modern world. But what do they mean for young people?
The Rimu team at Helensville School have been inquiring into dealing with feelings. The mental health statistics in New Zealand are shocking so we need to learn how we can navigate our way through life.
There are many things you can do to help yourself and young people deal with their mental health in a healthy and positive way.
· Talk to someone you trust - a friend, parent, teacher ( a problem shared is a problem halved)
· Exercise
· Have enough sleep
· Take time out to just relax
· Limit screen time
Emotions affect us all in different ways. When feeling angry try these simple steps:
· Talk to someone
· Go for a walk
· Try breathing exercises -with each breath blow your anger away
· Count backwards from 10, then do it again, and again
Is anxiety stopping you from living your life to the fullest? Try some of these things;
· Do sport that is calming enough to keep your mind focused on the sport, not what you’re stressing over.
· Follow the 3-3-3 rule (look around you, name three things you see, three things you hear and, finally, move three parts of your body).
We found out that everyone’s mental health is important and sometimes just ‘sucking it up’ isn’t the right strategy. So talk to the young people in your life today, a simple chat could make all the difference.
