Exercise and Mental Health
Not every person can tolerate modern psychotropic medications intended to treat many of these psychological conditions. At least 20% of people cannot tolerate medications for allergies or other reasons. Because of that, finding alternative solutions that can be adjusted to personal treatment plans is important. Exercise has many health benefits for both mind and body. You can find hundreds, if not thousands of articles touting
How Challenges Allow for Growth and Confidence
Stepping outside of your comfort zone to try new and challenging things can be a scary endeavor, particularly for adolescents who fear failing in front of their peers. However, research indicates that failure can actually be a positive outcome for children because it allows them to push the boundaries of their capabilities and adopt a growth mindset that failure is just a crucial step on
Study Shows Effects of Air Pollution on Child’s Mental Health
One of the biggest unspoken threats of the climate crisis we are facing is the effect of the environment on children’s mental health. Teens are spending more time inside because of the draw of technology, but it is possible that outdoor environments are less appealing in urban neighborhoods with fewer green spaces. While we typically think that air pollution is only a problem in major
What is School Refusal in Teens?
“I don’t want to go to school! You can’t make me!” Those are all too familiar words for most parents who have children who dislike school or don’t want to go for other reasons. For some, this issue can be solved by getting teens involved in extracurricular activities that they are passionate about. For some parents, however, teens who refuse to attend school are actually experiencing
Parenting Tips: Help for Struggling Teen Over the Holidays
For many families, the holidays mean making gingerbread cookies, building snowmen, relaxing by a warm fire, and spending time with family--but for some, it’s the opposite. For some, it means more stress, more arguments, more challenges. Most people don’t think about help for struggling teen boys and girls during the holidays, but it’s often desperately needed. From large social gatherings to family altercations, the holidays
The Benefits of Yoga for Teens Far Surpass Physical Wellness
It’s been known that the benefits of yoga for teens are plentiful and powerful for centuries--but only recently have we begun to find the scientific reason behind it all. In the modern world, it’s been thought that yoga was a great way to stay fit, but it’s much more than that. Research is revealing that the benefits of yoga for teens include improving mental health as
Teen Social Isolation: The Dangers of Being Alone
Teen social isolation isn’t always abnormal. Sometimes we just need some time alone to think, process, and work through things--sometimes it’s more dubious. For many struggling with issues like depression, they aren’t sure what to do so they isolate themselves and don’t reach out to anyone for help. They retreat into themselves hoping to figure it out alone--but that often doesn’t work. Instead, it can
Yoga and Mindfulness Can Reduce Stress In Teens: Trails Carolina Family Coach Explains
Managing stress in today’s world is more difficult than ever. Nowadays, teens have so much on their plates. Mindfulness exercises and yoga are an effective way to reduce stress. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Yoga at Trails Carolina Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8 week course that teaches individuals how to practice mindfulness as a way to manage stress. At Trails, I have adapted
Talking About Mental Illness: Ways to Discuss Mental Health with Your Child
Mental health is often the elephant in the room. While recent years have seen mental health awareness, research, and treatment progress to new levels, talking about mental health is as difficult as ever. There are many reasons mental illness can go unheard. In some cases, it can be difficult for a person who hasn’t experienced a mental illness to fully understand the effect a mental
Finding a Balance: Tips for Parenting Struggling Teens
Raising a child is both the most rewarding, most natural thing in the world – and the most difficult one. There isn’t a family in the world that hasn’t had at least one major fight. Moreover, pushing boundaries is a perfectly normal part of growing up. Testing limits allows a child to assert their individuality and explore who they are. In most situations, these arguments