Exams, assignments, extracurriculars, and work. As middle, high school or college students, we often prioritize these responsibilities over our own physical, mental, and emotional health. As a result, self-care falls to the wayside, making it difficult to find time for the most important thing: ourselves.
While true self-care is a continuous journey that takes time, there are many ways that students can incorporate de-stress activities into their daily lives and find ways to awaken into themselves. Overtime, these practices can evolve into something greater in hopes of achieving a balanced lifestyle.
As Parents we hope
our children will find a sense of self and a place of happiness. Yet often the feeling of "happy" and demands of school and college seem to be at odds with each other. As our kids struggle.... their struggles can feel like our own, and together parents and students feel as though they are spiraling in a circle with no way out. Reaching out for guidance, help and support is an answer that leads to options and a change for which they and we are searching.
Schools teach many things
yet understanding how to regulate emotions and enjoy life is the one subject we know they and we will always use throughout our careers and ever changing challenges. How do we learn these skills? Friends, peers, teachers? As we get older we naturally push away from family and parents. Yet this is a time when we need more guidance and education on who we are and who we wish to be.
How can parents find ways to support their kids?
Reaching for skills as a parent to navigate these difficult stages and offering your children a non-jugmental opportunity to ask questions and explore who they want to be is where Counseling opens up these options. Counseling teaches skills. This type of educataion is a continous journey and counseling shows where and how to start. So while thinking on schools and who or how you want to be remember providing and experincing this education will open up a life of "happy" no matter what life may provide.