Mental Health Communication
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Consent
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
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.
The ultimate result of neglecting self-care
Burnout
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.
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
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%)
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.
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
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
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
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%)
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
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
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
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
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
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.)
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
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)
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
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
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!
The often quoted phrase "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation..." was written by this author and activist.
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.)