Self-Care for Teens

What does self-care for teens look like, and how are their needs different from adults? You can tailor self-care practices, no matter your age, to the individual challenges you face. Keep the following five areas of self-care in mind in your teen years, knowing that they will need to change and adapt as you grow.

Take Care of Your Body

Sometimes when we’re young, it feels like gym class or the sports we play are enough to keep us physically healthy. However, that’s not always the case. Give yourself the best chance at a healthy future by making your physical health a priority. Your body will thank you for following the tips below.

1. Plan Movement

Plan at least one activity to move your body every day. Movement is great for your body, relieves the built-up stress from your day and is a great coping skill for mental health.

2. Eat Healthily

Pair movement with healthy eating habits. Choose to fuel your body with fruits and vegetables and cut out as many sodas/energy drinks and processed foods as possible. Healthy eating is about choosing foods that nourish your body and help boost your natural energy. Take care of your body by giving it the food and water it needs, and in return, it will treat you well.

3. Stay Hydrated

Drinking water is an integral part of physical self-care. Stay hydrated by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example: if someone weighs 200 pounds, they would drink 100 ounces of water every day to stay hydrated. Use the formula below to practice self-care by staying hydrated.

Body weight / 2 = ounces of water per day

4. Make Sleep A Priority

Bless your body with a good night’s sleep. One of the greatest gifts of care to give yourself is to sleep 8-10 uninterrupted hours per night. That means put your phone on silent or do not disturb and practice the habit of going to bed at the same time every night. It’s tempting to stay up late texting your friends, but pay attention to how you feel 1-2 days later. 

Exercise Your Mind

Your mental health protects your thought life and emotional health. A mind well cared for is a mind that cares for you. Treat yourself with care by following these mental health self-care tips.

1. Talk with Compassion

Have you ever thought about the inner conversation you have with yourself? That inner dialogue is arguably the most important conversation in your day. Practice mental and emotional self-care by choosing to talk to yourself and about yourself with compassion.

Steer clear of thinking about the “would haves, could haves, should haves.” Use positive talk instead to recognize and reframe your situation: “I can, I take responsibility for, this is a chance/opportunity to, etc.”

Would you feel mean talking to another person the way you talk to yourself? If you answered yes, it’s time to practice self-care and change up your inner conversation.

2. Check Your Status

You can also take care of your mind by checking in with your emotions. Plan a certain time of day to check your personal status. The questions below are helpful for doing a personal check-in.

What emotions am I feeling?

How did I feel/react to situations today?

Is there anything I need to get off my chest?

What am I excited about/looking forward to?

3. Be Open

You should respect your mental and emotional wellbeing and make it a priority in your life. Take care of your mental health by choosing trustworthy adults to be open with about your self-check-in.

Therapists, parents, teachers, youth leaders, coaches, life coaches, aunts/uncles, and grandparents are just some of the adults you might think about letting in on your inner dialogue. Consider trustworthy adults who you can be open with about the good, the not so great, and the down-right terrible parts of life for you.

Social Life

Your social interactions are foundational. Family, friends, and peers contribute to your view of self and view of the world. To practice self-care in your social life, start with the tips below.

1. Be Aware of Your Friends

Practice awareness by noticing who brings encouragement and who drains you. Recognize the friends who remember things about you and leave you feeling good about yourself. Then recognize who leaves you feeling tired or who is toxic to your mental health.

If your social life comprises people who are not concerned about you, or who don’t challenge you to take care of yourself, it is time to revamp your social circle. Start with being aware of how other people in your social life affect you. Then make the necessary changes in your social circle to benefit yourself and others.

2. Break from Social Media

Practice self-care by choosing to take breaks from social media. Choose to separate yourself from your social media accounts for a designated time. If that is hard for you, start with a short time frame like a couple of hours. Then work up to being off social media for a day or week. Use the hints below to stay true to your break from social media.

Choose another activity during your usual scroll time

Turn off notifications while you take a break

Your teen years are just as important as any other time in your life. You have so much to do, learn, and experience. When you practice the self-care tips above, you are building yourself into a person who will be a blessing to the world and yourself for years to come!

Self-care is an important part of any teen’s daily routine. However, if it feels like the challenges you face require more than this check-in, schedule an appointment with me today to talk more in-depth about your specific concerns.