We’ve all heard the stereotypes: teenagers are careless, irresponsible and reckless. However, how often are the mental health hurdles of teens acknowledged and received? Not every teen thinks the same or handles difficult situations the same way. But how can we help, as teens, help others to overcome the obstacles in battling their own minds?
Many remember the dreaded Friday on March 13, 2020, when everything changed. When the Covid-19 pandemic arose, it was sudden. The seclusion from the world that everyone was facing during this time led to a lot of loneliness and depression from being essentially “locked” inside houses all day, every day. For teens, our brains are still developing and so the lack of socialization affected us on another level.
Restriction from seeing family and friends took a big toll on adolescents. As a result, there was a lot of anxiety when coming back out to socialize, especially at school. Students adjusted to a change in schoolwork by switching to remote learning. Most saw struggling parents and dwindling necessities.
The lack of toilet paper, family members losing jobs, everyone being home… there were many anxiety-driven factors at this time. Ron Hill, a marketing professor at American University stated, “Things got particularly expensive during that period” …. “And some companies haven’t rolled back those costs at all.” After Covid-19 hit, it seems as though things have just never really switched back.
Around this time, no vaccines were out yet, and several people lost their lives to Covid-19. Some teenagers lost their parents.
Finding hobbies to occupy time wasn’t really an option, since we were all stuck at home. Some teens loved going outside for fresh air, meeting up with friends, going for a walk or simply admiring the beauty of nature. Some may say that teens could’ve still performed these activities outside in their own space, away from people.
Most parents don’t realize, however, that the way students’ lives used to be when they were in high school and college is not the same as the flow of things now. The change has had such a huge mental impact on teens throughout New York City, on a much larger scale, the globe.
Furthermore, during this period of time, everyone believed that simply stepping out might expose them to Covid-19, and everyone used extreme caution to avoid catching the virus or giving it to a loved one.
This made people extremely anxious, scared, and stressed while trying to keep themselves safe. Many became distracted from all the online work and fell into wonky sleep schedules. It almost felt like summer, as most teenagers were used to sleeping late.
A majority of this was due to what they were dealing with mentally, and such struggles were never acknowledged by their parents, who were already stressed out with finances and providing for their family.
For teenagers, the best solution to getting out of this pigsty mental state since Covid-19 can be turning to a therapist, a psychologist or simply having someone to talk to, for help… preferably a trusted adult. Some students may not think this is helpful because of how drowned they feel in their own thoughts, especially coming from the pandemic. Their thoughts and feelings can seem as if they’re “sunken” and can’t get out.
Therapy can be difficult when you’re not used to opening up and have a habit of bottling your thoughts and emotions. But, through the process, many will find that they learn so much about themselves. Things they never knew. Speaking to a professional about how you feel can create a safer environment to relax your mind and understand yourself better.
When you feel comfortable sharing how you feel in this “safe space,” it’s easier to help yourself when you can’t necessarily see a therapist or psychologist. Most suggestions a therapist might expose to you are journaling, coloring, taking “breathers,” or simply being in your own comfort and having some “self-talk.”
These options are a great way to contribute your thoughts and feelings to calm yourself down.
All you have to do is:
- Choose an option that suits you. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can bring you great opportunities.
- Experience it. Owning your emotions is healthy. Drawing attention to your emotions is healthy.
- Be consistent with this practice. Consistency is key to making a difference.
- See how you feel. Do self-check-ins on a daily basis. What’s on your mind today?
After all, only teenagers know what it’s like to be us in 2024. Just know that you’re not alone and that you have resources to help you.
