3 Key Components of Mental Wellness for Students

"We know the frequency of mental health crises among teens and young adults is rising, and we need strategies to deal with them when they strike.

Connection, Expectations, and Purpose

Focusing on connection, expectations, and purpose serves as a needed complement to individual efforts around mental health.

Connection: Creating connection starts with meaningful relationships. Psychological research shows that feeling connected can lower anxiety and depression and improve self-esteem and the immune system and stimulate centers in the brain that produce feelings of happiness. Strong connections lead to a sense of belonging, which correlates to better mental wellness for young people.

Adults in a school can take simple steps to ensure that young people are experiencing some part of this process. Simply paying attention to a young person, using their name and correct pronouns, and engaging in conversation that shows they are accepted without judgment are ways to nurture movement toward belonging.

Expectations: Students are overwhelmed—the pressure to succeed causes stress, anxiety, and burnout. Young people want to be pushed and challenged but don’t want to be defeated.

One way to avoid that outcome is to ensure that alignment between tools and expectations (particularly those involving student achievement and performance) is happening evenly.

Purpose: Part of the school experience involves discovering purpose. At school, this means helping students develop a sense of what they want to accomplish and who they want to become–and it’s critical for mental wellness. Students who felt like they were needed at school and effectively contributing to their groups reported “flourishing a lot” in their mental health.

One basic way to help students discover purpose is to ask more questions. This could be achieved with a group reflection session in class or by prompting students to explore answers to their questions. Any activity that allows them access to new information about their interests and passions can facilitate finding purpose."

Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!

Reflection:

Do you have all 3 of these components (Connection, expectation, and purpose)? Which of them would you like to develop?

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