COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty and anxiety, oh my!
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and changed the world, especially for teenagers. Schools have closed earlier for the year, state and federal restrictions are now in place, physical protection methods are to be adhered to when in public regardless of age, and social distancing has become the new norm. For any young person today — the impact of this crisis is more than enough to give them the blues.
COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty and anxiety, oh my!
The outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created a lot of uncertainty, anxiety, and concern for us all. For some people, sadness and depression. In a crisis like this, no matter what their age, teens want to know three important things:
Am I safe?
Are the people caring for me, safe?
How will this situation affect my daily life now, and after all of this is over?
COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty and anxiety, oh my!
As parents and caregivers, we must connect with and talk to our children daily about the COVID-19 pandemic and address their perspectives and concerns honestly. Below are nine tips on how to positively and supportively engage teenagers to help them avoid or rise above the COVID-19 blues.
1) Model Calm
Our children look and turn to us for guidance, reassurance, and confidence. If your behavior shifts to panic and out of controlled anxiety, your child will adopt and follow your lead.
Even if you are worried and emotionally stretched during the COVID-19 crisis, make it your number one priority to model calm. Take care of your health. Do not angrily blame others. Demonstrate the required physical protection measures and communicate the seriousness of the situation to your teen through love and support.
2) Ask What They Know
There is a lot of misinformation and untrue facts out there, so do not assume that your teen knows everything about the COVID-19 pandemic or that the information they have is accurate. Ask open-ended questions:
What have you heard about COVID-19 and the coronavirus?
Where did you hear about it?
What are your major concerns or fears?
Do you have any questions for me?
How are you feeling today about the COVID-19 crisis?
Your teen’s answers to the above questions will provide you with the information they have and what has them concerned. Now, you will be able to fill in any necessary gaps with accurate and updated information to help your child.
3) Be Available for Questions and Provide New Accurate Information
Get and keep yourself up to date with the most accurate information you can. Then make yourself available for questions. Do not aggressively chase down or pressure your teen to ask you questions when you see them moving through or lounging around the house.
The goal here is to encourage and allow your teen to trust and come to you for updated, accurate information, and for open discussion on the crisis.
4) Provide Reassurance
The feeling of protection and safety for everyone at home and work during these tumultuous times will most likely be at the forefront of your teenager’s mind. If your teenager repeatedly asks or shows concerns about how everyone is doing throughout the day, do not take it as if they are panicky.
Be empathetic towards their concerns. Listen attentively with caring and loving ears, validate their feelings. Next, step up to provide them with the reassurance that you are doing everything possible to keep everyone physically protected, safe, nourished, in high spirit, and the best of health.
5) Stick to a School Schedule
Many schools across the nation have closed their doors for the year, and their students are now participating in classes online through remote-schooling. A good way to help your teen to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic blues is by making sure they stay active and stick to a school schedule.
Their remote school schedule keeps their mind active, productive and engaged with classes, teachers, classmates, and you.
6) Explore Alternative Activities – for now
Many states have put into place statewide restrictions and business shutdowns. These restrictions and closed businesses have limited or stopped many of the extracurricular activities your teen could do after school or over the weekend. To help avoid the blues, explore fun activities for your teen to partake in during the pandemic. Sit down with your teen today to discuss and create a list of alternative fun or creative activities to do at home – for now. A few ideas are as follows:
a. Teach and learn to prepare together a traditional family recipe.
b. Make a fun dancing video as a family to upload and share on social media.
c. Break out the board games and have a fun family game night.
d. Make a list of movies, pop some popcorn, and have a fun movie night or weekend
e. Create and have a fun family storytelling night or sit and discuss your family’s history with pictures.
7) Embrace Technology, But Also Unplug
We cannot avoid or leave out technology when it comes to our teenagers today. Find ways to enjoy technology together. Ask your teenager to show and teach you how to do something with technology on a mobile device, laptop, online, or on a gaming console that you did not know, and vice versa.
But also unplug. Sometimes, technology can be the cause of or contribute to the blues, anxiety, sadness, or depression. Social media can have some sad things on it at times, and gaming consoles and cell phones can make current sad or struggling emotions worse. So, unplug and do something fun or creative; make a pizza from scratch together, complete an arts and crafts project together, do yard work together, or clean and paint a room together. Also, help your teen to build outdoor times into their day while maintaining social distance. Move your mind and body, and the rest will follow.
8) Watch for Signs of Depression
"It can be hard to tell the difference between sadness and depression – especially for teens who may already experience normal ups and downs. But parents should keep an eye out for red flags that their teen’s blues are symptoms of depression," says Terrill Bravender, M.D., M.P.H. chief of adolescent medicine at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
"If a teen wants to be alone in his room for a couple of days, that may not be worrisome. Spending long stretches alone or being more moody than usual could be part of how they’re coping with this new situation. You should acknowledge to them that this is normal and understandable. But if they’re sleeping all day or you’re going weeks without seeing them, you should dig deeper. If depressive symptoms persist for more than one or two weeks, that may be time to get help," Bravender says.
Many therapists and mental health providers in every state are offering virtual visits during the COVID-19 crisis, and their services are a resource for parents and caregivers if you’re worried about your teen. Do a Google search for your town and state to find a list of available therapists and providers offering virtual visits (an online videoconference between a doctor/provider and a patient at home).
9) Empower Your Teen to Help Others During the Pandemic
Once you’ve helped your child to avoid or rise above the COVID-19 blues, encourage and empower them to help others. Your teenager may have a friend or family member who they are aware of is having a tough time emotionally or getting accurate information during the pandemic.
An empowering opportunity will allow your teen to model and follow your lead. It will make them feel valued, and this empowerment will lessen their anxiety. No matter the age, we can always help others during and through a crisis.
We do not know at this point how severe of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic will be or when or if it will end. Living with restrictions and uncertainty can be tough, and at times highly stressful. In the midst of it all, we must encourage and help one another to become more emotionally stable, aware, capable, productive, resilient, cheerful, and as physically protected as possible through a caring and continuous plan of engagement with our children during this time of crisis.
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3) How the Opioid Epidemic is Affecting and Impacting Our Teens
Hi! How have you helped your teen or a teen to cope with the COVID-19 crisis? Kindly share some of your effective strategies or ideas below. Thank you in advance for sharing.
About the Author: Ty Howard,
Mr. Untie the Knots®,
True Greatness Is — As True Greatness Does!
Ty Howard is America’s Untie the Knots® Consultant, and Capturing Greatness and Passion Expert. Over the past 23 years, he has spoken to nearly 3 million teenagers, education professionals, student leaders, student-athletes, parents, fatherhood groups, youth development professionals, and associations across the nation and around the world. For information on his programs and services, visit: http://capturinggreatness.com.
