With a major (and much needed) focus on mental health in recent years, parents have a lot to digest when it comes to helping their kids, and themselves, stay mentally healthy. Creating calm and mindfulness in your life has never been more important.
There are so many resources to help, which is great but also overwhelming. When looking for the best mental health apps or trying to figure out which therapy app is best, a lot of it comes down to what kind of mental health help you are looking for. Are you looking for everyday mental health maintenance? Or do you or your child need more specialized help in working through some challenges? Either way, here’s a few things for you to consider to help support you and your family.
Mental Health Maintenance
If you’ve ever run a marathon or any other kind of race, you know the importance of training. Increasing your running a little at a time helps you prepare to run the marathon without major injury or debilitating exhaustion. Mental health maintenance is similar to training for a marathon. If you do a little training everyday, your mind gets stronger, and you become more prepared to handle challenges that come your way.
What does training your mind look like? It looks like spending time away from social media and screens, getting outside, journaling, getting good sleep and meditating, just to name a few! Everyone is different, so it’s important to notice what things make the biggest impact on you, and make a training plan to support your daily mental health.
Technology: Help or Hindrance?
Studies show that technology can play a huge role in the mental health of you and your kids. Setting time limits on apps and scheduling daily down time on your phone can help support your mental health. Using these features on a Troomi phone can help your kids learn to recognize the influence of technology on their mental health. Take the time to set app limits and down time with your kids and discuss why getting time away from their screens can help their mind to calm down and feel better.
Technology can help in maintaining mental health when used correctly. Finding the best mental health apps for your needs can help with mindfulness, meditation, and other mental health supporting habits.
Let’s talk about one of the best and most popular ways to create some calm in your life: meditation! Meditation can be a quick and relatively simple way to give your mind a reset during a chaotic time. It’s a great training tool to help you stay calm and centered.
Is meditation considered a therapy? Not exactly. Meditation may be a tool used by therapists, but it isn’t an official type of therapy. Practicing daily meditation can prepare you for harder mental situations and can set you up for success in therapy. Is meditation better than therapy? Meditation is a tool used within therapy to help you work towards better mental health. Top mental health apps, alternative to therapy apps, include Headspace (which your kids can access on their Troomi phone), Calm, Ten Percent Happier, and Simple Habit, just to name a few! You can even find short meditations on Youtube with a quick search.
Therapy: Which route should you take?
If you find you or your child is struggling with mental health, it may be wise to consider finding a trained professional to help. It’s important to prioritize getting the help you need as it can make a massive difference in the quality of your life.
Therapy has come a long way in recent years. With significant innovation, therapy has become much more accessible to people in a variety of situations. Whether you want to meet in person, virtually, or over an app, there are a variety of options.
Which therapy app is best? That depends a lot on what you’re looking for. BetterHelp is a very popular app that offers different solutions for working with a therapist. Keep in mind that app based therapy is relatively new, so be sure to do your research to find what will be most helpful for you or your child.
For some people, meeting face-to-face with a therapist will be more comfortable than chatting through an app or virtual session. Every psychologist or therapist has their own style, so don’t be afraid to “shop around” until you find the right fit. While one person may love cognitive behavioural therapy apps, someone else may get a lot more benefit out of finding a different style of therapy. It’s all about finding the right fit for you.
Your mental health maintenance is incredibly important to creating a calm and centered life. Don’t be afraid or intimidated! Doing simple things like meditation regularly can make a huge difference. When you need it, don’t be afraid to find the right kind of help to support you in your journey. Whether you’re working through things yourself, or helping a family member, maintaining and improving your mental health is worth the effort.
