Enhancing Teenagers’ Strengths For Self-Care With Their Talents

‘Strength-based Approach’ should be the new movement mastered by teenagers in the current environmental crisis. It’s the process that guides personal developmental capacities of self-worth that encompasses principles of overall development. Teenagers in the COVID 19 scenario are battling with alot of turmoil’s within the four walls of their homes that is now a classroom, a playground, a personal exploration space, a thinking, feeling and acting out zone. On one side there are online classes where teachers are trying to deliver and on the other side there are family-led distractions with added social media upheavals and the list is very subjective. This is a continuous process and each day brings with it newer conflicts that the teenagers should overcome.

As adults, we never had a virtual world when we were growing up. We never had to suppress our sensory skills as we could see, touch, feel our peers, our teachers, our learning and so on. Thus, this situation puts us in a humane pedestal where we need to understand the perspectives of teenagers. There is a massive outburst of emotions and temperaments that is difficult to control. There is also so much suppression that the teens are emitting. So, instead of judging their behavioural tendencies how can we lend a helping hand and travel with them in all their highs and lows. How can we guide them in identifying their strengths so that they can channelize them into productive actions. This will be a real personal transformation for them as they will learn how to provide personal feedback for themselves and reach their goals while enhancing their talents.

We can generate a safe psychosocial space for teenagers in guiding them to learn self-care strategies through the following:

1. Making time for oneself by reflecting on one’s likes, hobbies and mastering the same with ease.
2. Reasoning on making healthy steps by going for short walk, conversing with a grandparent, eating a little early, staying away from the social media gadgets for some time.
3. Setting realistic goals each day and working on time management skills.
4. Journaling the plan of action, consequences, challenges ad solutions for the same.
5. Drawing a healthy line with those who are pulling down one’s strengths or talents.
6. Blending with all the likes and starting to implement on them and seeing the progress.
7. Paying attention to one’s needs and believing that fears are normal.
8. Doing small acts of kindness for someone at home. For example: Helping with the dishes or gardening or cleaning.
9. Connecting with peers differently. For example, sending letters of appreciation through the virtual platforms.
10. Loving ourselves first by recognising our strengths and weaknesses. Knowing that self is important that will make the social work recognizable.

Thus, it’s important as adults we follow the essence the ‘Scafolding’ where we provide forums for teenagers to grow and understand their talents while using them into transformative actions. This paradigm shift that we all are witnessing should keep us grounded and train the young in creating new models for the environment through their talents. Promotion of self-care is integral in developing social skills of sustainability and progressive change for the self and society.

Roseline Gomes Member since May 19, 2020

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Roseline is a Ph.D. Scholar of Psychology at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, and an Assistant Professor of Psychology & Counselor at Jyoti Nivas College Autonomous. She is currently doing research in integrating mentoring and positive psychology interventions into the school curriculum to make the learning and teaching experience more collaborative, humane, and skill-based. She wishes to change the mindsets of educators, caregivers, and policymakers in bringing out wellness in education for Children and Youth. Ms. Roseline in the process of dealing with learners battling with mental health concerns had diverted their attention into their passion for music, art, theatre, journaling and in the process realized that it led them to cope with the signs of psychological traumas. Hence, the growth of a Youth Collaborative Forum in her parent's name called Shilpi & Michael Foundation came up through her initiatives, where adolescents and children are torchbearers in creating peer support groups as an experiential educational model. Shilpi symbolizes 'Art' and Michael exemplifies 'Skill & Capacity Building', which are the two experiential teachings Ms. Roseline learned from her caregivers. This forum also guides in uplifting those who undergo psychological challenges and handhold them in growing together as a unit with strength.

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