Self-Care in the Child and Adolescent Populations
May 20, 2023

Children and adolescents don’t often understand the term self-care and families often me, “What can I

do?” Self-care is the active role in maintaining one’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being, often

through healthy eating, meditation, exercise, and other activities (APA, 2020). In this blog, I will explore

the importance of self-care in children and adolescents and describe the key components and why these

are important. In children and adolescents, self-care is essential since it helps enhance their overall well-

being. It helps build resilience, crucial for managing stress and overall mood. This process should start

early to help prepare them to transition into healthy adults.

Self-care has five components that encompass physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual

wellness. This month we will discuss physical self-care. Physical self-care involves getting enough sleep,

eating healthy, exercising, and caring for one’s physical health. Teaching physical self-care to children

and adolescents would consist of routine exercises such as participating in sports and walking the dog.

Another critical component of physical health is adequate sleep for their age range. It is important for

families to set a routine bedtime with no technology in the bedroom, dark shades, minimal lighting, with

no brain-alerting activities such as playing on the laptop or cell phone. Another component of physical

wellness is eating healthy, which contributes to healthy growth and development. According to the

National Sleep Foundation (2023), “Sunlight helps regulate our sleeping patterns.” So, sleep, exercise,

and healthy eating are overlapping components of wellness and self-care. Next month, I will provide an

overview of social wellness.


Wishing you happiness and wellness, 

Wanda

More about Self-Care in the Child and Adolescent Populations

By Wanda Hilliard • 06 Jun, 2023
In May, I discussed the five components of self-care in the child and adolescent population. This month's focus is social wellness, defined as the ability to form positive social connections with others, instilling a sense of belonging, and building healthy relationships. Social wellness is an essential part of healthy development in this population.

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Speak to your audience You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about Take a few moments to plan your post Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.
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