Assisting your child in developing mental health activities is a fantastic method to promote their wellbeing.
They can try writing in a notebook, engaging in physical activity, listening to music, and creating a self-care chart.
Children can also benefit from understanding that it is OK to seek professional care for mental health problems.
It’s never too early to help your children understand why mental health is important, especially with the growth in mental health issues among children.
In only one year, the rate of emergency room visits linked to mental health increased by 24% for children ages 5 to 11 and by 31% for adolescents ages 12 to 17.
Parents play a significant role in teaching mental health-promoting behaviors. Everyone would benefit from developing the abilities of identifying and managing emotions, identifying needs, and requesting assistance, especially since these skills may help prevent future mental health issues.
According to Megan Anna Neff, a clinical psychologist in private practice, it is more beneficial to help your child develop positive social and emotional habits early in life than to wait until they develop mental health symptoms as they age.
Plenty of enjoyable, stimulating activities can go a long way in promoting mental wellness. Here are eight possibilities for children and adolescents.
1. music listening or creation
Consider the way in which a beloved song might lift your spirits: music is frequently a potent emotional release.
A 2022 study indicated that therapies incorporating music for mental health improved adolescents’ self-esteem, decreased social isolation, and reduced symptoms of despair and anxiety.
Children of all ages can benefit from making and listening to music. As a teenager, Billie Eilish created the song “Everything I Wanted” to express her depression. While the song still mentions Eilish’s depressive thoughts, Eilish says it has evolved into a more upbeat tribute to her brother’s support during difficult times.
Music listening may also aid:
Other possible musical activities include:
Composing and performing music
Playing with previously heard music Improvising or jamming
Younger children can engage by singing with their parents or siblings, developing rhythm by pounding on pots and pans, or dancing to their favorite tunes.
If your child does not respond significantly to merely listening to music, a music therapist can provide additional structure to help them explore emotions or specific mental health problems.
2. Physical activity
Brooke Aymes, a clinical social worker in private practice, says, “Moving your body can have a major effect on your mental health, and it’s a terrific coping strategy for children to have throughout their lives.”
Exercising as a child can aid in the development of lifelong habits, which can have positive effects as an adult. Two and a half hours of moderate exercise per week reduces depression risk in people by over 20%, according to a study from 2022.
In addition, a review published in 2020 reveals that exercise lowers depressive symptoms in children without significant side effects.
If your child has little interest in physical activity, try:
Beat Saber, Just Dance, and Wii Sports all need physical activity to score points.
Dance parties are a terrific way to sneak in some physical activity without realizing it; simply let your children choose the music.
Games such as tag, Red Light Green Light, freezing jump, and relay races get the whole family moving.
Yoga: Mindfulness techniques, such as yoga, can alleviate anxiety and sadness and enhance the quality of your sleep. Start by teaching your child pranayama and corpse posture (shavasana). According to studies, these techniques are very effective for helping children relax.
Coloring books 3.
There is a reason why even grownups use coloring books to relax: concentrating on coloring can help you let go of unpleasant thoughts and relax.
Coloring helps children develop motor skills, imagination, and focus. But it can also function as a form of mindfulness, which can help children overcome fear and practice living in the present.
Mindfulness entails focusing on the present moment and absorbing bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, and the surrounding environment with acceptance and nonjudgment. Increasing one’s mindfulness may lessen stress.
A study conducted in 2015 indicated that coloring dramatically reduced anxiety feelings in children going to take a spelling exam.
Your child’s particular hobbies can be fostered by allowing them to choose their own coloring books.
They may also appreciate:
forming bonds with four-legged companions
A 2015 study of children indicated that those with a dog at home had lower anxiety levels than those without pets. Pets may help children expand their social circle by encouraging them to interact with new individuals. In addition, spending time with a pet may alleviate depressive symptoms.
Try the following:
Pets enjoy routines, such as being fed and allowed outside at the same time each day. Have your child assist with pet care. Providing care can assist children in establishing routines, which can benefit their mental health and resilience during times of high stress.
Take walks as a family: Daily walks with a pet can help children increase their physical activity in a low-stress setting. This is also an excellent opportunity to spend quality time conversing with your children, which can lessen their future risk of mental health issues.
Take your dog to a dog park: Dog parks are an excellent place for older children to exercise their social skills by conversing with other animal lovers. In addition, you can make plenty of new canine companions.
If your child is too young for a dog park, they can still practice social skills by introducing their pet to other children and sharing pet stories. Remember to confine unruly pets to the vehicle.
No animals at home? Consider fostering older children or encouraging them to help at a nearby animal rescue.
Spend time outside
Time spent in nature is a vital approach for children to gain self-assurance and courage, as well as improve their social, emotional, and physical skills.
Aymes asserts that children can learn these skills through imaginative outdoor play, whether alone, with parents, or with friends. This can have a favorable effect on their mental health.
Getting outside can also help reduce levels of stress and anxiety and may provide some protection against future mental health issues: Children with less access to nature may be 55% more likely to develop a mental health disorder.
According to Aymes, spending time in nature away from modern devices can also serve as a mindful meditation alternative for children. According to a report compiled by the National Wildlife Federation, children’s tension may be reduced in a couple of minutes by being completely present in nature.
How then can you wean your child from their screen?
Enroll children in outdoor activities they may enjoy with their peers, such as soccer, flag football, or nature-based summer camps.
Construct forts in the nearby park. Use fallen branches and blankets, or bring your own cardboard and markers.
Bring Nerf or water guns outside for an epic family combat during warm weather.
Together, read or draw in the backyard.
Pack a picnic meal and a blanket for a park picnic with friends or family.
6. Unconventional journaling
After an emotional outburst, journaling can help de-escalate strong emotions and prevent future emotional outbursts or tantrums. Encouragement of self-reflection at an early age may also assist children in enhancing their social abilities.
Obviously, your child may not be eager to sit down and write two pages on their emotions, and that’s fine.
If you want your child to experience the mental health advantages of traditional journaling, such as reduced stress and anxiety, encourage them to explore alternative journaling techniques, such as:
Adding glitter pens, scented markers, or images of loved ones may make any sort of diary more engaging and unique for children.
The best guidebooks
Amazon
Uncertain of how to begin journaling? Our advice to the most effective guided journals will assist your child with the process.
7. Creating a checklist for self-care
A solid practice of self-care that blends pleasurable activities with essential needs might help:
Encouraging your child to construct a self-care checklist will help them practice taking care of their minds and bodies prior to the onset of pressures.
The fundamentals of self-care, such as nutrition, physical activity, and sleep, play a significant effect in children’s mental health. Obviously, children overlook many of these same things when they are under stress due to schooling and other academic obligations, familial difficulty, or peer conflict.
Self-care strategies for children of all ages may include:
Any of the aforementioned activities, such as playing with pets or spending time outside
Selecting foods for a healthy breakfast
Selecting clothing appropriate for the weather
Kindness shown to a friend or family member
Age-appropriate chores, including as putting their clean clothing away and assisting with the dishwashing.
They combed their hair and teeth
Using refrigerator magnets, you can assist younger children in creating a self-care checklist. For instance, you might spell out the phrase “brush teeth” with alphabet magnets or place a magnet depicting a toothbrush on the refrigerator.
You can help your child create a self-care checklist, but you should avoid doing it for them. Allowing kids to choose their own needs and methods for meeting them can promote independence and accountability.
8. discussing emotions with a trusted adult
Good mental health does not mean that your children never experience stress. It means they are able to identify and communicate their emotions in effective ways.
You can help children navigate the ups and downs of life more efficiently by teaching them to identify negative emotions, such as irritation and anger, and letting them know it’s okay to experience them. One effective technique to begin? Share your own emotions and exhibit effective coping abilities.
Aymes adds that it’s crucial to offer a secure space for children to express their emotions and validate them when they do.
Saying, “There is no cause for fear. You’ll be OK, “will not console them. Rather, it implies that their feelings are irrelevant.
Rather, you could say:
“Even I experience fear on sometimes, and that’s fine. You are courageous to face this, and I am here with you.” Then, you could recommend practicing deep breathing together.
“It is acceptable to become angry. What can we do with these profound emotions? Do you want to run around together till your intense emotions diminish?”
“I regret that you are feeling sad. When I get depressed, sometimes painting makes me feel better. Let’s try coloring together to see if that helps.”
Insider’s takeaway
Developing positive self-care and mental health practices early in life increases long-term health and happiness. These exercises can even assist children in identifying hobbies and abilities that will determine their future.
Additionally, engaging in mental health-promoting activities with your child can reinforce their benefits for both of you.
“Children mimic their parents. Parents can model supporting their own mental health by engaging in exercise, meditation, journaling, talking about feelings, and doing their own therapy,” Aymes says.
Cassandra Miasnikov