Unfortunately, for many years teenagers’ mental and emotional health has been overlooked in many households. This worldwide issue causes many people to lose focus on their studies and personal hobbies, due to not being able to cope with a handful of emotions all at once.
About 9.4% percent of children living in the United States have been battling anxiety from ages 3 to 17 years. That is roughly 5.8 million people, yet there isn’t enough awareness that needs to be spread about this topic. There are many people that feel too shy to be open about their well-being, causing them to hesitate to reach out for help. Anxiety is a mental disorder correlated to ordinary issues (money, family, and health), and phobias (an extreme fear of something, such as heights or insects). It is often that those experiencing anxiety will feel restless or extremely panicked due to stress.
What is the difference between mental and emotional health? Many people get the two words messed up, but mental health is about emotions, psychological, and social well-being. However, emotional health is the awareness a person has of how they are doing, how to manage the different feelings they have, along with finding healthy coping mechanisms.
There are many occasions where once school starts students start to forget about doing self-care; reflecting on how to react to certain situations, thinking about what is bothering them, etc., and rather putting all of their attention towards academics and sports. According to Berkeley.edu, studies have shown that sharing heartfelt experiences, that includes negative ones, can make you feel a lot better, specifically having a relatable experience with a friend or family member. Of course, prioritizing the future and academics is very important. However, not being emotionally aware of how you’re doing can cause many complications, including having low energy, neglecting hygiene/personal care, being isolated from the world, a difficulty of concentrating, having mood swings such as irritability, guilt, frustration, restlessness, and/or hopelessness. There are many signs that go unnoticed when a person is struggling mentally, but these are the main symptoms.
Many teenagers have trouble with handling their emotions once the school year starts, due to the pressure of being ‘perfect’ with academics or extracurricular activities, trying to ‘fit’ into standards that are put by parents, teachers, or friends. This results in a lot of stress being added to their plate, so living a balanced lifestyle is important. Time management is the key to living a balanced lifestyle. For instance, having a schedule to know when it is the right time to study, exercise, get enough rest, to spend time with oneself or meditate, and spend time with family and friends is highly encouraged.
It gets difficult to deal with these types of issues alone, so ways society can spread awareness about this topic is by having posters with positive affirmations, and not just teachers, but students making school a place where they don’t feel alone to share their feelings.
