Tag Teens

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, it is not uncommon to feel stressed. Sometimes we don’t always recognize it creeping up on us. This blog post will give you some signs that stress may be taking over your life. We hope this article helps you see these stressors before you begin to feel overwhelmed.

Stress can take many forms: being overwhelmed by everyday tasks or worries about work, school or family issues. It could also mean worrying about things like money problems, health concerns or relationship troubles. If any of these are happening in your life right now, don’t panic! We can help you!

The first step to managing stress is to see the signs before you are completely overwhelmed. We are all different and what triggers one person may not in another and that is OK! Once you know what the triggers are, you can work to avoid them or better deal with them. How do you know if someone is stressed? Here are some signs to watch out for.

1) Change in Sleep Patterns

Sleep has many different functions, such as restoring energy and improving moods. However when we are under pressure it becomes difficult for our brains to “turn off”. This leads us into staying up later than usual, waking throughout the night or getting up earlier than we ought.

2) Difficulty Concentrating

It’s important to be aware of signs your child or teen may be getting stressed, but these can apply to anyone. One way you can recognize this is by looking at their ability to concentrate. Inability to focus could indicate they have too much on their minds. This may flow over in other ways such as mood swings or poor school performance.

“It can be hard to concentrate when you’re feeling stressed. All your thoughts are racing and it feels impossible to focus on anything in particular. Your mind may wander from one thought to another, or you may find yourself unable to remember things that should be easy.”

“Stress doesn’t just affect how we feel, but also has an impact on our cognitive abilities. When we’re feeling stressed, our cognitive functions such as attention span and memory suffer because the brain’s prefrontal cortex is too overwhelmed by stress hormones like cortisol.”

3) Change in Mood

The stress that we experience can negatively influence our mood. Changes in mood are a reaction to the pressures faced daily. You often see this manifest in outbursts of frustration or anger. They could also be an indicator of an underlying problem that needs attention. Mood changes often overlap with unhealthy eating habits, manifesting in things like headaches and stomach issues.

4) Changes in Appetite – Either Increased or Decreased

It is normal for people to experience changes in appetite when they are stressed or experiencing other mental health issues. Some may have an increased appetite while others could see a decrease in their appetite. Triggers may include feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities at work, home, school and more; feeling disconnected from friends, family members or loved ones; struggling with body image issues; having unmet needs such as lack of sleep; feelings of not being heard or respected enough among other things. These changes can happen unexpectedly so it is important to take notice of any sudden change in your own eating habits.

5) Loss of Interest in Hobbies or Activities you used to Enjoy

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities you used to enjoy can be a difficult and confusing time for both the person experiencing the loss and those who care about them. Understanding what might cause this sudden change in behaviour is key to getting help and moving on. This is a common indicator of depression and should not be taken too lightly. It may be that one has simply taken on too much and may need to re-evaluate their daily schedule.

It’s important to know if you or your loved one has had any recent life changes affecting their ability to participate in hobbies they once enjoyed. Has there been a change in responsibilities at work or school, relationship problems, financial difficulties or health issues? If there are no life changes it may be worth checking out other reasons for the change like depression.

6) Feeling Restless and Agitated

Feeling restless, including a sense of dread about the future as sign of stress is not uncommon in today’s society. Stress is a major issue for many people, and it can lead to feelings of unrest that may be difficult to shake. These feelings can include a sense of dread about the future or an unwillingness to participate in everyday activities. It’s important not only to identify these symptoms, but also take steps toward reducing stress so it doesn’t get out of control and affect your life.

The signs of stress are different for everyone, but there are some commonalities. If you recognize any of these 6 signs of stress in yourself or someone you know, its likely your body needs to be relieved of excess pressure. If making these changes on your own seems too much, we are here to help. Call today or schedule an appointment!

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Emem Iniobong, is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor who helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

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3 reasons why your teen should drink water will be discuss in this blog. Drinking water is an important healthy habit for teens because drinking water is essential to a healthy body. It helps maintain a balance of minerals and fluids in the cells, aids digestion, transports nutrients, and maintains skin moisture. Drinking water is a healthy habit for teens because it keeps teens energized by replenishing your energy stores with oxygen-rich H2O. Likewise, the average teen drinks about 1.5 liters of water per day, which is less than adults. As teens go through puberty and grow their metabolism increases so they should drink more water to stay healthy and hydrated. Not only that, but drinking plenty of water can help prevent headaches and migraines. As well as, helps maintain a healthy weight, prevents constipation, kidney stones, diabetes and other illnesses. The best way to stay hydrated is through drinking plenty of clean glassfuls throughout the day; not just when you’re thirsty or it’s hot outside.

This blog will discuss 3 reasons why your teen should drink water

1) Weight Management

One reason your teen should drink water is because can help with weight loss by suppressing your appetite – Drinking plenty of water aids in digestion and metabolism, which leads to less food intake and more calories burning. The body needs water for digestion and metabolism. But with so many delicious beverages out there that are high in sugar and calories, it’s easy for teens to get caught up in the hype of these other options. More so, water has zero calories! It’s also free and easily available – all you need is a tap or bottle! The best part is that by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, you’ll actually suppress your appetite because your brain will think that you’ve had more food than you really have!

2) Flushes Toxins

One reason your teen should drink water is because it can help with flushing toxins of the body. The liver is the most important organ in your body, but it can’t function properly without enough fluids. More so, your organs will work more efficiently to remove waste products from your system.  When you drink less than eight glasses of water every day, toxins build up and may even cause damage to this vital part of your health! This is especially important for teens that are constantly growing and developing new cells- they need lots of fluids to help clean up old cells so their bodies can keep going strong!

3) Reduce Acne

One reason your teen should drink water is because it can help with preventing acne on the body. Drinking water prevents acne because acne develops when pores clog up with oil, dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells. There is a common misconception that drinking water can worsen acne breakouts, but it’s actually the opposite. Drinking plenty of water can help clear up acne and prevent future breakouts from occurring.  Research shows that an increase in fluids may reduce stress hormones which are known to aggravate symptoms of acne. It also helps flush out toxins through sweat glands and urination. It’s important for people with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis to drink more water because their skin may be dryer than average due to a reduction in oil production caused by these diseases. 

I call my blog post “3 Reasons why your teen should drink water” because it has three important benefits for teens. Drinking plenty of water can help with weight loss, prevent acne and flush toxins from the body. What are some other reasons that drinking water is good? Comment below!

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Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

Healthy eating habits for teens are very vital as they are at a crucial stage in their life.

The teenage years can be a difficult time for teens and their parents. Teens are going through so many changes physically, mentally and socially. One of the most important things to remember is that teens need healthy food choices in order to help them grow strong, physically and mentally. They are transitioning from childhood to adulthood; they need more guidance than ever about how to make the best decisions for themselves. It’s important that for parents/caregivers to start by letting your teens know that it’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay not to be perfect, and help them build good habits early on so as to avoid dealing with these issues later.

Following these three tips, your teen will be one step closer to becoming an independent adult who knows how to take care of themselves well.

1) Eat Breakfast

2) Drink Water

3) Limit your intake of sugar and processed foods

The challenge of getting your teen to eat healthy can seem daunting and overwhelming. It’s important that you start by letting them know that it’s okay not to be perfect. Help them build good habits early on so they don’t have to deal with these issues later in life. If you need more guidance in teaching a teenager about living healthier, please contact me for an appointment or consultation.

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Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-full life.

We firmly believe that the importance of good nutrition in the development of children and teens cannot be overstated! Numerous studies have shown that the dietary habits of children and teens can affect their physical growth, cognitive development, and mental well-being. Nutrition is a crucial part of childhood development for both child and adults. Read on to learn more about how what you feed your children or teen impacts their lives now and in the future.

65% of brain cells are made from fat. Iron deficiency during pregnancy has been linked with low IQ levels later in life. Calcium deficiencies have been associated with poor muscle tone as well as weakened bones. Protein intake is needed for proper growth at all stages throughout childhood.

The role of nutrition in the development of children and teens remains important because nutrition is a process where the body uses nutrient to sustain life. More so, our body uses the nutrient to keep it healthy as we learnt from our series on my child their nutrition.

Nutrition Needed For Development of Children and Teens

The problem many parents face is that it can be difficult for them to know what those nutritional needs are and how best to meet them. This blog series, will help you gain better understanding the role nutrition plays in your child’s development.

By staying connected and reading this blog post and series, you’ll learn about some common questions related to childhood nutrition including why kids need certain nutrients at different stages of life. How much protein or vitamins kids require and whether supplements are necessary; and how diet impacts behaviour and cognitive development.

Nutrients That Are Important

There are different types of nutrients that are important to a growing children and teens development. Although, there has been increased awareness about the importance of a healthy diet for children and teens, it is still difficult to find information that is both practical and easy to understand. Many parents are still uncertain about what constitutes a balanced diet for their child or how much food they should be eating at different ages.

In this blog series, we aim to provide answers to the common questions by exploring various aspects of childhood nutrition. Topics such as types of nutrients that are important in developing children; recommended daily intakes (RDIs) for energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates.

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Emem Iniobong, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Brandon, Manitoba. She specializes in working with children and adolescents experiencing various mental, behavioural, and emotional challenges.

Dealing with tantrum is a concern for most parents/caregivers. In our first in this blog series we met our guest, Moyin Adefisayo who is currently a graduate student of the Masters of Art in counselling psychology program at Yorkville University. She works with the Vancouver School Board as a Student Support Staff (Urgent Intervention Process Team). Moyin provides behavioural plans to educators (K-12) and works with the child in developing coping strategies to managing their emotions and/or behaviours.

We learned that everyone has behaviour and behaviours are signals. They communicate and also have a function and as such, it is very important to know and understand what these are to support your child or teen.

In this second part of three we look at tantrums; how they may differ and how to handle them.

What is a Tantrum?

Like we mentioned in the last blog everyone has behaviour. Tantrum is a way children and youth express frustration, stress, or anger. Keep in mind that they do not make a conscious plan to embarrass you. Rather, a tantrum could happen as a result of learned behaviour or as a result of stress. Tantrum is a functional behaviour and if you understand what the function of that tantrum is then you will know how to respond. Some tantrums could be manipulative or stressed related.

Manipulative Tantrum

Manipulative tantrum is when your child uses the learned behaviour (tantrum) to get something from you (ha-ha). Children are really smart and at a young age they already know how to get something or gain control over you. When your child knows what to expect and what is expected from them the tendency to use manipulative tantrum will be reduced. This is where being consistent is key.

Stress Tantrum

Stress tantrum could be as a result of your child feeling stressed or a build up of stress that results in the unwanted behaviour. It could also be as a result to emotional response which could include anger, frustration, sadness, and so on. Remember, behaviours are signals! The parent or caregiver needs to discern if the tantrum is stressed related. Then, they must be in tuned with his or her child to know what that behaviour is communicating.

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Emem Iniobong, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Brandon, Manitoba. She specializes in working with children and adolescents experiencing various mental, behavioural, and emotional challenges. I am passionate about helping children and teens find their unique strengths, develop skills to overcome challenges, and bravely navigate the world around them.

Supporting teen with anxiety during Covid-19 has been stressful for stressful. How do I support my teen with anxiety during this Covid-19, has been a huge stressors in parents and caregivers. Parents and caregivers are so stressed because during this pandemic is really difficult for them to support their teen with anxiety.

I have heard teens tell me I just want Covid-19 to go away, and my anxiety will go as well. Teens have said to me, I do not want the school to be shut down again as I don’t want to be alone at home without connecting with my friends. Teens have also said when school goes remote I struggle because I do not have any motivation to learn.

This is the new reality that the world leaves in right now. One day is we are free to connect with family and friends and the next day is you cannot visit friends and families; it leads to anxiety because teens do not know what to expect. Research indicates that the rate of anxiety in teens have increased during this Covid-19.

How do I support my teen with anxiety during this Covid-19 is a common question among parents and caregivers.

1) Limit Worry Activities

You know that teens with anxiety are prone to worry a lot and as a parent or caregiver limiting those worry activities or exposures are important in supporting teens with anxiety during this Covis-19. Some ways to support your teen to limit worry activities with anxiety during Covid-19;

• Limit their exposure to media that focus so much on the negative outcomes especially when you know your teen worries a lot. Limiting media will include you as a parent or caregiver been intentional around your teen to limit media exposure.
• Ask your teen what the know or if they have any question that is causing them to worry a lot and use that opportunity answer their questions in an age appropriate way. Please parents avoid details answers that can cause more worries in your teen.
• Validate their feelings, emotions, and thoughts around the situation. Do not be in a hurry to dismiss their feels or worries, be patient and explore and validate your teen. (read more on this topic here).

2) Keep Routine “Normal”

Keep the routine normal and consistent to support teen with anxiety during Covid-19 as it helps teens feel safe, develop life skills, cope with the situation, and build healthy habits. Routine could include bedtime, physical activities, spiritual activities, connecting with loved ones (friends, families, teacher, religious leader etc., through video chat or phone call), schoolwork, appointments, medical professional, and fun with family. Keeping routine normal and consistent in supporting teens with anxiety during Covid-19 can help reduce stress, worry, and anxiety.

3) Connect with Your Supports

Connecting with your supports in other to support your teen with Anxiety during Covid-19 is very important. For a lot of people that support could include;

• Professional Supports. Professional supports could include your family doctor, mental health professional, or school counsellor.
• Spiritual Supports. Spiritual supports could include your pastor, church, and so on.
• Community Supports. The Community supports could include groups in the communities, online group, and so on.

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Emem Iniobong, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor in Brandon, Manitoba. She specializes in working with children and adolescents through various mental, emotional, and behavioural challenges.  Passionate about helping children and teens find their unique strengths, she developed tools so they can overcome whatever challenges they face and bravely navigate the world around them. Bliss Counselling and Wellness Centre helps you find your bliss.

Dealing with your teens emotions can be overwhelming and challenging for parents/caregivers and as well as for the teens. In one of my blog post, five signs that your teen needs counselling, I shared one common question that I often get from parents or caregiver, was when do I know my teens needs counselling and one of the signs I wrote about was if the your teen was having difficulties in managing their emotions, then that could be a sign that they needed to reach out to a professional. Today, I will be providing five tips for dealing with your teens emotions as a parent/caregiver.

1). Give your teen space to deal with their emotions

I know giving your teen space to deal with their emotions can be challenging for parents because all you want to do is to get in the face of your teen and tell them what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. However, everyone needs space and teens need more space because they are trying to discover themselves and that could appear or show up in different ways. Giving your teen space to deal with their emotion and come back to you when they are calm and ready will reduce stress and any form of confrontation. More so, it increases confidence in your teen that you trust them to deal with their emotions.

2). Understand the emotions your teen is dealing with

Parent needs to understand that sometime anger could be making other emotions in their teen and as a results anger shows up and parent may assume that their teen is rebellious. Anger could be masking shame, sadness, fear, and hurt and when the emotions are too much your teen may lash out, but if the emotional outbreak becomes an occurrences in your teen then you need to reach out to a professional.

3). Remain Calm

Really? I can hear a parent/caregiver ask me that question. Yes, remain calm and I know that can be challenging especially when you see your teen slamming the doors or breaking stuff. Remain clam can decrease any form of escalation. More remember you cannot control how your teen deals with their emotions but you can control how you respond to them.

4). Provide an Outlet for your teen to deal with their emotions.

As parents/caregiver you can help provide your teen an outlet to release their emotions in different ways. They could include providing a calming space, engaging them in exercise, cooking, baking, artwork, mindfulness breathing exercise to release stress associated with their emotions.

5) Consider Therapy

As, I mentioned in one of my blogs, parent second themselves most times. If you feel that your teen needs to speak to a professional, have that open conversation with your teen and connect them to a professional to support your teen. Ask yourself this question, what is the worst thing that can happen if I reach out to a professional, I guess you know the answer “nothing”.

Remember, parenting can be challenging and as such incorporating these techniques to your parenting style can help lessen the stress.

Emem Iniobong is a Brandon MB, Canadian Certified Counsellor that helps children, teens, young adults, parents, and families in dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, parenting support to live a more fulfilled and bliss-ful life.

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