TEENAGERS
Happiness
Talking to people
Playing games
Interpersonal relationships (friendships, family, etc.)
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Good mental and emotional health
Sadness
Anger
Social media
Full filling needs
A positive focus
Meaning in life
Goals and achievement
If your child has goals that fit with his values, are fun and attainable, and let him use his strengths, it can give him a sense of purpose and achievement.
Meaning in life can come from doing good things for others. Your child could look for everyday ways to help family or friends – for example, giving someone her seat on the bus, or helping someone pick up papers they’ve dropped in the street. Or she could get involved in community activity. This type of ‘giving’ lights up the reward centre in the brain, which makes your child feel good.
Relationships and social connections are vital for teenage wellbeing. Your child needs close and supportive family and friends. And good parent-child relationships tend to lead to good teenage friendships.
f your child can notice and appreciate the good things in his life, he’s more likely to feel positive. This can also help him keep difficult times in perspective, so they don’t become overwhelming.
Your child can do this by just taking a few moments each day to focus on what she’s grateful for. You could even make this a family activity by asking everyone at the dinner table to name one thing they’re grateful for. You can be grateful for all sorts of things, like being together at dinner, the sun shining after a week of rain, having good health, being part of a great group of friends and so on.
Good mental and emotional health is important for teenage wellbeing. For example, teenagers with good mental and emotional health can develop resilience to cope better with difficult situations. If your child develops resilience, she can ‘bounce back’ when things go wrong, which will boost her wellbeing.
Good emotional health also includes being aware that it’s normal and OK to sometimes feel sad, embarrassed, angry and frustrated – but these feelings usually pass.
Physical health
When your child takes care of himself physically, it’s good for his wellbeing. For example, being active, having a break from technology, getting outside and getting enough sleep can help your child’s mood and improve his physical fitness.