#ASKLIZ

Liz Sorton Lifecoach and Mentor for teenagers

@YouthcoachLizSorton

LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH - 3 IDEAS TO CONSIDER AS A FAMILY

I AM AN ACCREDITED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER AND DELIVERING 2 DAY YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH ACCREDITED COURSES LATER IN THE YEAR

FIND TIME EACH WEEK TO CHECK IN AS A FAMILY WITH EACH OTHER.

Family meetings can be useful for this, where there is an opportunity for everyone to speak about how their week has gone, what is coming up – they may be facing a test or an assessment, have an art day, be getting involved in a school fundraiser etc. The family meetings that work the best are ones where everyone is equal and has a say on how they are run and what the agenda is. They become part of the family weekly schedule.

WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH

When we are feeling unwell or have a suspected injury we ring the GP and ask their advice. Who does your child turn to if they are struggling with their anger, their confidence, their friendships or pending assessment stresses? Do you create some space every week to spend a little individual time with them? If they are already helping you out preparing dinner together you could chat then? Car journeys are another popular place to catch up as there is no direct eye contact, they know how long the journey is so it can be comfortable knowing that you just have 10 minutes before they leave the car. HOW DO YOU AS A FAMILY DEAL WITH STRESS?

Do you do activities together, for example a walk, a bike ride, a movie afternoon, baking together, go for a run around in the garden or the local park? Playing sports outside? As parents, our children are watching how we deal with stress ourselves. If we want them to feel more able to talk about their feelings and perhaps when things don’t go to plan, we need to be showing them how we look after ourselves and what we do for self maintenance to support our mental health.

If you are struggling with your mental health please find someone to talk to, whether that is a parent, a teacher or a professional like myself they can provide a listening ear and some suggestions for on-going support.

"We can’t always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how to dance to it. " - Unknown

YOUTH COACHING CAN BE FACE TO FACE, IN SCHOOLS OR ON SKYPE SUPPORTING DEALING WITH CHANGE, GAINING ANGER MANAGEMENT SKILLS, DEALING WITH FRIENDSHIP CHALLENGES, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND MUCH MORE. CONTACT HELLO@YOUTHCOACHLIZ.COM