Mental Health Communication
All About Gen Z
Mental Health & The Brain
Self-Care
The Wellbeing Triangle
100

You should ask for this before giving advice or doing something for someone else.

Consent

100

Gen Zs spend more time on YouTube than any other social media platform, but they have the greatest difficulty managing time spent on this competitor

YouTube

FYI: 75% of Gen Zs actively monitor their screen time, but more than half still use social media at least 4 hours a day. For the average teen, that's more time than the combined hours spent socializing in-person or virtually

100

Name a positive function of anxiety

Protection from future harm, goal motivation, etc.

FYI: Most emotions include costs AND benefits, meaning they're neither good nor bad. Our responses and the context determine whether they help or harm.

100

The ultimate result of neglecting self-care

Burnout

100

This activity both keeps your body healthy and releases chemicals that help manage stress and anxiety while protecting you from depression.

Exercise

FYI: Recent studies show that exercise might play a much smaller role in weight management than previously thought.

200

People have a hard time understanding reason and logic when they're in this state

Dysregulated or Crisis

FYI: Dr. Bruce Perry's three R's (Regulate, Relate, Reason) offer a useful tool for co-regulation based on neuroscience

200

In a 2023 Gallup Poll, about __% of Gen Z teens said they wanted to attend college full-time after high school (10, 25, 50, or 75)

50% (Actually 49%)

200

The experience of directly facing real or perceived threats of death or significant harm (to oneself or to loved ones)

Trauma

FYI: When the brain recalls traumatic memories, it recreates the dysregulated state of the nervous system from the original incident.

200

This is the most common tool for emotional regulation because it is effective, free, and always available.

Breathing

FYI: Some people can have negative associations with breathing, making other tools more helpful

200

It's estimated that a third of US adults fail to get enough of this each day, leading to fatigue, memory problems, irritability, and many other health issues

Sleep

300

The act of recognizing or affirming someone's experiences, beliefs, or personal worth

Validation

FYI: Validation is the best tool for building rapport because it shows that you both listened to and understood someone's perspective

300

About __% of Gen Zs said they felt comfortable opening up about their personal mental health (55, 65, 75, or 85)

65% (rounded up from 63%)

300

Name the four "F" words that describe our automatic responses to danger

Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn

FYI: a.k.a hyperarousal, this state hinders "non-essential" brain functions such as logical decision-making

300

Self-care is sometimes divided into these two types which refer to habits of long-tern wellness and crisis response skills, respectively

Maintenance and Emergency

300

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared this a public health epidemic

Loneliness

FYI: Chronic stress from loneliness is twice as deadly as obesity and as deadly as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day

400

This theory helps clients focus more on their capabilities than their obstacles, and says that people are naturally resourceful and resilient in the face of adversity

Strengths-Based Practice

400

This has been the top societal concern for Gen Zs for the last 3 years, according to polls

Cost of Living

FYI: In 2023, 56% of Gen Zs were living paycheck-to-paycheck

400

Known as the calming portion of the nervous system, this is responsible for returning the body to homeostasis after a stress response

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

FYI: We can improve PNS effectiveness and response time by practicing healthy coping skills (breathing, taking breaks, exercise, help seeking, etc.)

400
Out of all common self-care practices, this one has the most scientific research supporting it's effectiveness

Gratitude

FYI: The easiest and most research-supported method of practicing gratitude is journaling about 5-10 things you're grateful for 1-3 times/week

400

Today, this age group experiences the highest rates of loneliness

Youth / Young Adults

FYI: Research indicates that the strongest predictor of forming social bonds may not be shared interests, but instead regular in-person proximity (Dorm & Class studies)

500

Timing, relevance, and authenticity mostly determine whether this communication tool fosters or harms rapport

Self-Disclosure (and Affirmations!)

FYI: Self-disclosure exists on a continuum; you can still use it with relatively impersonal info like your favorite foods or universal anxieties

500

Since 2022, this has been the most important factor for Gen Zs seeking employment

Work / Life Balance

FYI: Purpose-driven work is close behind. About half of Gen Zs turned down an assignment or job offer b/c of their values or beliefs

500

This form of therapy, famous for its use of eye movements, is recommended for the treatment of trauma by the US Departments of Veterans Affairs & Defense and the World Health Organization

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

FYI: I'm trained in EMDR and can use it with WIOA clients that want to work on trauma!

500

The often quoted phrase "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation..." was written by this author and activist.

Audre Lorde
500

This type of junk food is the most unhealthy due to its rapid delivery of calories that don't get counted well in the brain, causing a higher calorie intake overall

Sugary drinks (soda, fruit juice, heavily sweetened coffee and tea, etc.)