Members of Generation Z include people who were born between 1995 and 2010. Sandwiched between Millennials and Generation Alpha, Gen Z individuals are growing up in a time of uncertainty and stress. This generation is also significantly more likely than other generations to report negative mental health according to a recent survey by the APA. One of the major types of mental health struggles that Gen Z is having a hard time with is Social Anxiety.
As children and teens head back to the classroom, many are also heading back to the field, the gridiron, the court or the rink.
It is important for parents and coaches to familiarize themselves with the difference between helpful and unhelpful stress and anxiety as it relates to performance in sport.
Student athletes feel tremendous pressure both in and out of the classroom. Awareness and open, positive engagement is key in helping kids manage their anxiety in a variety of competitive situations.
Watching your child or teenager be rejected or experience unkindness can be incredibly painful and anxiety-producing. We want our children to fit in, to be liked and appreciated for who they are, and to feel a sense of belonging. When social problems arise, we can react in different ways: feeling overwhelmed, feeling worried that our child will suffer or things will only get worse, or becoming critical of our teen or their friends. Our efforts to control the situation can backfire and lead our kids to feel unsupported. When this happens, kids tend to stop sharing their bumps in life with us (for fear we can’t handle it).
As the end of Summer quickly approaches, both kids and parents are anticipating the next transition of back-to-school. This can be a stressful time for both kids and their families.
If your child is anxious leading up to the start of school, these tips can help.
POV: It’s 2 AM and you’ve been awake for over an hour. You are tossing and turning and can’t get back to sleep.
We’ve all been here before and, in fact, occasionally struggling to fall or stay asleep is normal. Sleep problems are considered to be insomnia only when they become persistent and interfere with daily functioning.
While we have previously gone into depth on the benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), it is also useful to have a quick reference of things NOT to do when you are tossing and turning and wishing for sleep in the middle of the night.