Mental Health

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month

By May 11, 2020 2 Comments

Low Self-Esteem Can Lead to Negative Impacts on Teens

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month - Lifeworks Counseling CenterAs children grow older, they will go through numerous changes. Their bodies will grow, and their minds will develop. However, as they reach adolescence, they will experience monumental developments, which change their entire life. Puberty and hormonal shifts often lead to many teenagers feeling insecure about their bodies and themselves. On top of these bodily changes, teenagers also face social changes, new emotions, and much more. Many teens struggle to maintain positive self-esteem and self-worth during these formative years.

While growing up and going through adolescence is hard for all teens in different ways, all parents, guardians, and those in leadership or mentor positions must do what they can to help these young people understand the importance of knowing one’s worth. There is no better time than now to inspire young people and to help them create and maintain their own sense of self than National Teen Self-Esteem Month. Every May, we take the time to ensure our youth are aware of the importance of one’s self-esteem and to combat self-worth and self-image issues teenagers face daily.

Lifework Counseling Center understands how difficult being a teenager can be. After all, not only do they have to deal with the changes in their bodies, but they are faced with changes to their social lives, new expectations, and more. Join us in celebrating National Teen Self-Esteem Month by helping young people understand their self-worth.

What is National Teen Self-Esteem Month?

Every May, we celebrate National Teen Self-Esteem Month. Sponsored by I Am Worth More, a nonprofit organization that helps teens find resources and presents them with positive entertainment, May is a time to combat the self-worth and self-image issues that plague all teenagers across the country.

National Teen Self-Esteem Month is a time where teens, parents, and teachers across the country come together to focus on supporting teens by providing them with a space to voice their needs and concerns, building a positive outlook of themselves, and ensuring they are self-aware and confident.

A teen’s self-esteem can impact their physical and mental health dramatically, so you must support it. Self-esteem refers to an individual’s confidence in themselves, their abilities, and their worth. It’s often referred to as self-worth and self-respect. When a teen has little self-esteem, it can lead to serious mental health problems that plague them for the rest of their lives.

Along with their hormonal shifts and developing body, teens are faced with social changes, new relationships, increased academic and professional expectations, peer pressure, impossible standards pushed by media, and so much more. Millions of teenagers across the country suffer from low self-esteem.

Statistics to Know

As we said earlier, when a child’s self-esteem is low, it can affect their physical and mental wellbeing. Many teenagers with low self-esteem believe that they are unlovable, undesirable, worthless, and more. As you can imagine, this can affect a child’s mental health considerably, which, in turn, impacts their physical health.

To highlight the importance of National Teen Self-Esteem Month, we have compiled a list of statistics that shed light on the issues plaguing teens self-worth:

  • Nearly 20% of teens experience depression before they reach adulthood
  • Only 30% of teens receive treatment for their depression
  • 75% of girls with low self-esteem admitted to engaging in self-destructive behaviors, such as cutting, bullying, drinking, smoking, and eating disorders
  • Seven out of ten girls believed that they were not good enough or did not measure up to others, whether in looks, relationships, or academic performance
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24
  • Over 5% of teenagers reported substance abuse or alcohol use
  • 40% of teenage boys reported exercising regularly to increase muscle mass
  • 38% of teenage boys reported using protein supplements, and 6% admitted to steroid use to improve their physique
  • 50% mental health disorders are established by the age of 14, while 75% are established by age 24
  • A teen commits suicide every 100 minutes

As you can see, low self-esteem can lead to drastic effects that not only affect a child’s mental health but their physical health, as well. Teenagers will go to great lengths to improve their looks if they feel that they do not match up to their peers. This shows why National Teen Self-Esteem is so significant. It provides teens, parents, and teachers a chance to combat self-worth issues teens face daily.

How You Can Help

National Teen Self-Esteem Month provides everyone an opportunity to help support teens, their self-esteem, and their mental health. There is a handful of fun and positive activities held throughout the month that can help boost a teen’s self-esteem. You can help by:

  • Writing a positive note to a teen you know. If you have a teen family member or friend, write them a heartfelt note full of words of support and affirmation, letting them know why they are loved.
  • Take the “I Am Worth More” social media challenge. Every day throughout May, encourage teens to write something about themselves that they love on their social media accounts.
  • Share ideas. There are plenty of ways teens can boost their self-esteem. Encourage them to eat healthy, exercise, accept themselves, practice self-love, and love those around them.
  • Ensure you offer open lines of communication. Many teens feel that they cannot talk to their parents or peers and share how they feel. Make sure that you offer teens a chance to communicate and share how they feel and think.
  • Lead by example. Teens still follow by example, so they are always watching their parents, teachers, and other mentors for guidance. Avoid negative self-talk. Be mindful of the criticisms you give yourself and the others around you. Your teen is always listening, whether you think they are or not.

Join Lifeworks Counseling Center throughout May in celebrating National Teen Self-Esteem Month by teaching teenagers the importance of knowing one’s self-worth while combating the problems that teens face daily. If your teen is suffering from low self-esteem or other mental health disorders, do not hesitate to contact Lifeworks today.

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