A Guide to Mental Health
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Mental health is an important part of your overall health. It affects how you think, feel, handle stress, build relationships, make decisions, and manage everyday life.
Everyone has mental health, and everyone experiences difficult emotions sometimes. Feeling stressed, sad, angry, worried, or overwhelmed doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. But when those feelings become difficult to manage, last for a long time, or interfere with everyday life, it may be time to ask for help.
You don’t have to handle everything on your own.
What Can Affect Your Mental Health?
Many things can affect how you feel, including:
School and academic pressure
Friendships and relationships
Family changes or conflict
Social media
Bullying
Body image and self-esteem
Grief or loss
Major life changes
Feeling left out or alone
Lack of sleep
Stress about the future
Sometimes you may know exactly why you’re struggling. Other times, you may not, and that’s okay.
Recognize When You May Need Support
Everyone has difficult days. Pay attention when changes in your thoughts, feelings, or behavior continue or begin interfering with your daily life.
You may want to talk with a safe adult if you notice:
Feeling sad, worried, angry, or overwhelmed much of the time
Losing interest in things you normally enjoy
Pulling away from friends or family
Having trouble concentrating
Major changes in sleeping or eating
Feeling hopeless or worthless
Having difficulty managing stress
Your grades or attendance changing significantly
Feeling like your emotions are too difficult to manage
Using unhealthy behaviors to cope
Thinking about hurting yourself or someone else
Asking for help doesn’t mean you have failed. Knowing when you need support is an important life skill.
Take the Youth Mental Health Test here:https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/youth/
Build Healthy Coping Skills
Coping skills are healthy strategies that help you manage stress and difficult emotions.
Different strategies work for different people. You might try:
Move your body. Walk, exercise, play a sport, dance, or spend time outside.
Get enough sleep. Sleep plays an important role in your mood, concentration, and overall health.
Talk to someone. Spending time with people you trust can help you feel supported and less alone.
Take a break. Step away from stressful situations when possible and give yourself time to reset.
Do something you enjoy. Music, art, reading, hobbies, games, or other activities can provide a healthy break from stress.
Write it down. Journaling or making a list of what’s bothering you can help organize your thoughts.
Practice calming strategies. Slow breathing, stretching, mindfulness, or quiet time may help when emotions feel intense.
Healthy coping doesn’t make every problem disappear, but it can make difficult situations easier to manage.
Stress Is Normal—But Pay Attention to Too Much Stress
Some stress is a normal part of life. A test, competition, performance, new school, or difficult conversation can all cause temporary stress.
Too much stress for too long, however, can affect your mental and physical health.
When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself:
What is causing me the most stress right now?
Is there something I can change?
What can I take a break from?
What healthy coping strategy could I use?
Who could help me with this?
You don’t have to solve everything at once.
Take Care of Your Digital Well-Being
Social media and technology can help us connect, but they can also affect our mental health.
Pay attention to how you feel when you’re online.
Consider:
Taking breaks from social media
Unfollowing accounts that regularly make you feel worse about yourself
Avoiding comparing your life or appearance to what you see online
Putting your phone away before bedtime
Blocking or reporting bullying or harassment
Talking to someone if something online is upsetting you
Remember that social media usually shows only a small, carefully selected part of someone’s life.
How to Help a Friend
Sometimes a friend may tell you they’re struggling, or you may notice changes before they say anything.
You can help by:
Listening without judging
Taking their feelings seriously
Letting them know you care
Encouraging them to talk with a safe adult
Offering to go with them when they ask for help
Checking in with them later
You don’t have to know exactly what to say or how to solve the problem.
Being a good friend doesn’t mean keeping dangerous secrets.
If a friend tells you they are thinking about hurting themselves or someone else, tell a safe adult immediately, even if they ask you not to.
Find Your Safe Adults
Think about the people you could turn to when you need support.
A safe adult might be a:
Parent or caregiver
Teacher
School counselor or social worker
School nurse
Coach
Family member
Youth leader
Healthcare provider
Mental health professional
Try to identify more than one safe adult. If you ask someone for help and don’t feel heard, keep reaching out until you find someone who will help.
When You Need Immediate Help
Some situations require help right away.
If you feel like you may hurt yourself or someone else, feel unsafe, or are experiencing a mental health crisis, tell a safe adult immediately and seek emergency or crisis support by calling or texting 988.
If there is immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Check In With Yourself
Take a moment to ask yourself:
How am I feeling today?
What has been causing me stress?
Am I getting enough sleep and taking care of my body?
Am I using healthy ways to cope?
Is there something I’ve been keeping to myself that I need to talk about?
Who is one safe adult I could talk to if I needed help?
You don’t need to wait until things feel overwhelming to talk with someone.
Remember
Your mental health deserves the same attention as your physical health.
Some days will be harder than others. Learning how to recognize your emotions, manage stress, use healthy coping skills, and ask for help can make a difference.
Check in with yourself.
Take care of your mind and body.
Support your friends.
Talk to someone when you need help.
Keep asking until you feel heard.
HELPFUL Resources
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential support for people experiencing emotional distress or a mental health crisis.
Call or text 988
Teen Mental Health
Mental health information designed to help young people better understand mental health, mental illness, stress, and seeking help.
Visit: teenmentalhealth.org
NAMI
Information about mental health conditions, warning signs, getting support, and helping others.
Visit: nami.org
KidsHealth
Student-friendly information about emotions, stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationships, and mental health.
Visit: kidshealth.org
HealthyChildren.org
Mental and emotional health information from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Visit: healthychildren.org
Mental Health America
Information, educational resources, and mental health screening tools.
Visit: mhanational.org
Youth Mental Health test: https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/youth/