Developing Mental Wellness
Core Mental Health
Hap LeCrone is a clinical psychologist from Waco, Texas. He is also a Cox News Service columnist. He shared these tenets at core of mental health as an article and while it was likely written for adults, the concepts and the emphasis for growth are applicable for all ages. He writes:
During 43 years of practicing clinical psychology, I have accumulated tenets for sound mental health. They include:
- Wake up each morning by thinking, “This day will be special.” Then work hard all day to make sure it happens.
- Strive for focus and direction, but allow for change and flexibility.
- Make balance and health priorities cornerstones in your life.
- Rather than focusing on unhappiness, boycott “pity parties,” especially your own.
- Give of yourself, but don’t expect anything in return.
- Strive for a marriage in which joy and happiness shine like the sun but arguments and unhappiness seem like the faintest stars.
- Find a job that you enjoy waking up to, but doesn’t go home with you at night.
- Let optimism be your default mode, but realism your spell check.
- Find people you like to be with, but don’t expect every single person you meet in life to like you.
- Learn to say no in a kind, straightforward manner.
- Make forgiveness a gift you readily give and learning from experience a gift you readily expect.
- Let faith and prayer provide guidance for your journey through life.
- Don’t try to be good friends with your children when they are young. There will be plenty of opportunities for friendship when they become adults.
- Don’t let modesty prevent you from giving yourself a pat on the back for your accomplishments.
- Use control as a good cook uses salt: a pinch at a time
- Make tact and diplomacy the dynamic duo of your communication skills
Sound mental health can be achieved and maintained with insight into your own behavior. Change what needs to be changed, and keep practices that bring stability and contentment.
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACE’s, are a way of understanding life experiences which have impacted you and can continue to have an impact in the future if not dealt with and given the opportunity for individuals to grow through. Below are a few videos that can help broaden your understanding of ACE’s.
We can Prevent ACE’s by the CDC
Moving from ACE’s to Resilience
40 Developmental Assets
Click the link to view the Search Institute’s listing of the 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents (ages 12 – 18).
These are the building blocks for healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Relational Aggression
WHAT IT IS:
Relational aggression is a form of bullying that mostly involves girls. In relational aggression, the aggressor uses the “group” as a weapon to damage another girl’s reputation, relationships, and social status. In relational aggression, socially skilled females manipulate others into committing various acts of psychological (social or emotional) aggression.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
- Rumors and gossip – Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Snapchat and other social media apps are a popular avenue for this
- Exclusion from parties, lunch table, clubs
- Verbal insults
- Negative body language – mean looks, eye rolling, signs, turning away, pretending not to see someone
- Alliance building – telling others not to associate with another person as a means of retaliation
- Manipulative friendships
- Ignoring someone
HOW IT HURTS:
- Damages self-esteem
- Distracts from learning and leads to poor school performance
- Can cause emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders
- Can cause difficulties in adult relationships
- Can lead to suicide
WHAT TO DO:
- Name it when it happens – don’t brush it off as “girls will be girls”
- Talk about friendships and the importance of them for everyone
- Encourage the expression of all feelings – both positive and negative
- Foster self-esteem in girls by encouraging involvement in a variety of activities such as sports, clubs, church, music, art, and volunteer projects
- Teach assertiveness
- Do not tell the victim “just to ignore it”
- Elicit help from others such as school counselors, deans, teachers, principals, therapists
Ideas & Resources for When You’re Bored
We know that, at times, finding things to do which are interesting and engaging can be a challenge. We have compiled a list of ideas and resources that can help when you are feeling bored.
– Emotional health self-care Bingo Challenge: The counselors have brainstormed ideas for your emotional health and well being.
– Career March Madness Bracket: Do you miss filling out March Madness brackets for basketball? Not sure about your career path? Meet Career Madness Bracket including links to explore every career in the bracket. Fill it out and let us know what career you declared the champion!
– YouScience Career Aptitudes: Explore your own strengths and how they impact you and your future career choice through the 11 YouScience brain games. You should access YouScience through your HelloID portal.
– Calm app free resources: Calm is a popular self-care app. They have some free resources you can use.
– Kaplan free ACT/ SAT review resources: Kaplan has some free review resources on their website for sudents to access.
– Explore courses offered free online: There are a range of Ivy league college courses highlighted there including Yale’s popular class on being happier (which is what this article links you to directly) that you can explore. No credit will be earned, but it is a great personal development opportunity.
– Learn Sign Language: If you have watched official events or press conferences chances are you have also focused some on the sign language interpreters. This free resource allows students to use videos to help learn sign language on your own.
– Keep a reflection notebook, add pictures, or journal about this time of your life. Having details of your thoughts, feelings and experiences will be interesting and valuable to share with your future generations.