What Is Mental Health?
Mental health is a person’s social, psychological and emotional well-being. It influences all aspects of life, from thoughts and feelings to interactions with others to dealing with stress.
When you pay attention to the mental health of your children and other family members, you help them thrive at home, in school and as adults.
Who Experiences Mental Health Conditions?
Everyone goes through difficult times that can negatively impact their mental health. About 20 percent of people will deal with mental health problems each year.
A health issue that significantly impacts daily life or lasts for a long time may be a serious disorder, sometimes called a mental illness or a mental health condition.
Having a serious mental health disorder has nothing to do with someone’s character. Many factors may be involved, such as brain chemistry, genetics, injury or life experience.
Mental health problems and disorders are usually treatable and manageable. Certain strategies that support positive mental health can help everyone live full, productive lives.
Building a Mental Health Toolkit
A mental health toolkit is a collection of strategies, activities and resources that promote positive mental health.
Teaching children to take care of their mental health can help them deal with challenging moments in healthy ways. It may also decrease their risk for health problems later in life, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Every toolkit is unique, just like every family. But some tools are essential for everyone. Here are four to get you started:
1. Knowledge of Social and Emotional Development
Differences in brain development, hormone levels and social expectations influence the mental health of children and teens as they grow. Paying attention to the social and emotional development of infants and children can help keep them on track. And understanding developmental changes and having realistic expectations for preteens and teens may ease this time of transition for the whole family.
Knowing what to expect may also help you spot serious mental health concerns early.
2. A Consistent Routine
Having a consistent daily routine can help all family members:
- Feel secure and safe
- Focus on the present moment
- Get enough rest
- Have a sense of control
If you don’t already have a daily routine, start small. Pick one new healthy habit, like reading a book at bedtime or taking a walk together—and do it every day at the same time. Keep adding new habits slowly.
3. Self-care
Self-care isn’t just brushing your teeth or eating a healthy diet. It’s also taking action to support daily mental health.
The first step in mental health self-care is self-awareness or the ability to:
- Know your strengths and weaknesses
- Name emotions and how your body feels
- Understand that others may feel or think differently
To build self-awareness, try:
- Asking your child open-ended questions
- Squeezing clay or rubbing scented lotion on your hands and noticing changes in your body or emotions, and have the child do the same
- Journaling or therapeutic art
- Practicing gratitude
- Reading a book about feelings with your child
- Using guided meditation or deep breathing exercises
Practicing self-awareness activities when feeling good makes it easier to use these tools during difficult moments.
Once you and your children have tried a variety of self-awareness strategies, you’ll get a sense of what you enjoy and which ones help calm you. Pick one or two activities and add them to your daily self-care routine.
Don’t forget about your own self-care. Dealing with the challenges of parenting is hard work. Plus, modeling positive mental health strategies is a fantastic way to set a good example.
Be gentle with yourself and your children. Learning new skills can be challenging at every age. It will get easier over time.
4. Community and Resources
All parents and children need extra support sometimes. A list of supportive friends, family members, teachers or community groups can prepare you for those moments.
Talk with your child’s pediatrician if you have questions or concerns. The University of Maryland School Mental Health (SMH) Program provides additional resources for many school-age children and teens dealing with mental health problems.
If you or your child is having a mental health crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to get help right away.
There is also a new national hotline for maternal mental health: 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS. This offers a counselor and is NOT an emergency response line. It accepts voice calls and text messages.
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians at UMMS recommend these resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
More to Read
- How to Reduce the Stress in Your Life
- Artful Meditation: A Handful of Gratitude
- Expert Tips on How to Sleep Better
- Yes, Meditation Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure
Medically reviewed by Debbie Badawi, MD and Sarah Edwards, DO.
