In my quest to share helpful, useful resources, today I’ve found three excellent, science-backed and psychologist-recommended wellbeing apps for teens.
There are a lot of mums and dads out there worried about their teenage kids.
There are a lot of parents who are feeling out of their depth dealing with kids aged 13 and upwards.
There are a lot of teens who are:
• Struggling with self esteem
• Not communicating
• Failing at aspects of sleep/ routine/ school/ daily life.
That’s how their parents view it, anyway.
How to introduce a wellbeing app to your teen
Below, I’ve got three suggestions for wellbeing apps for teens that I think are worth trying. The million dollar question, though, is… how do you get your teen to try them out?! Here are a few ideas:
1. Keep it casual.
Try mentioning the app in the course of normal conversation or chat. Make the suggestion, make the details available, but don’t push it. Give your child time to explore it if and when he or she feels ready.
2. Send it electronically.
Make it clickable somehow, whether through social media, email or whatever media you and your teen share in some way.
3. Repeat yourself, but try not to nag.
We all need time to process new ideas and information. Some of us need longer than others, especially teens. Pushing the point is likely to lead to defensiveness and reduces the chance that your teen will follow through on your suggestion. If you get no traction immediately, mention it again in a few days time. Ask the question, ‘Did you take a look at that app?’ and then pause. If there’s no response then try again later.
Feeling useful improves wellbeing: 50+ jobs for teens that will benefit them for life
3 wellbeing apps for teens
1. Recharge
Download from the AppStore. Free.
Recharge is a personalised six-week program from Reach Out Australia that should help improve a teen’s general health and wellbeing. The app focuses on improving sleep by:
• setting a regular wake and sleep time each day gradually over the six weeks
• offering fun activities that are triggered by an alarm clock to help teens get up and out of bed
• increasing exposure to daylight earlier through activity, to help reset the body clock
• encouraging increased physical activity, especially within two hours of waking up.
2. Mindshift
Download from the AppStore. Download from Google Play. Free.
Mindshift is a tool to help teens and young adults manage everyday anxiety as well as test anxiety, perfectionism, social anxiety, worry, panic and conflict. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety. Mindshift helps kids to think about anxiety differently; to face it and conquer it.
Mindshift is designed and developed through a joint collaboration between the Anxiety Disorders Association of British Columbia. Canada and the the BC Children’s Hospital.
3. Superbetter
Download from the AppStore. Download from Google Play. Free.
Superbetter might get your teen’s attention. It’s a game! Creator Jane McGonigal developed it after experiencing her own period of challenge and anxiety following a brain injury. It’s designed to help build social, mental and emotional resilience. The app is supported by a whole lot of science and research that indicates that it really works. The benefits of gaming is a hot topic in psychology and education right now and this one is leading the way.
Do you like other wellbeing apps for teens you could recommend?
Image by Ravi Sharma
Support and help for teens in Australia - resources and contacts | Mumlyfe
Wednesday 3rd of July 2019
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