So, all you parents out there, how have your teens been throughout the pandemic?
It’s been very hard for a lot of youngsters and I have been having consultations with so many, and using NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Coaching and Hypnotherapy to help them deal with the fallout of lockdown.
Teenage angst during lockdown
Exams cancelled, grades assessed, some being happy with their results, some devastated… All the uncertainty about your future is often too much for some, and I have had to spend a lot of time working with several young clients who have even contemplated taking their own lives. This is where my work and NLP is invaluable, knowing you have the tools to help someone through their darkest days. Enabling them to come out the other side with goals and a positive outlook again is just so rewarding and uplifting, and every day I am thankful for the time I took to train and qualify as an NLP Practitioner.
Many have missed the interaction with their friends, then faced the enormity of going back ‘out’, after being told for so long that they should stay in, there have been increased levels of anxiety at every turn. I have used NLP to help so many people through this transition.
The role of social media in teen anxiety
In this world that is driven more and more by social media, it is so easy for our children to spend their days comparing themselves to online imagery.
“He’s done more than me, she has excelled where I have failed, he is taller, stronger, better looking, she is so beautiful and skinny”
ONLINE COMPARISONS ARE NOT ALWAYS REALITY, PEOPLE
Take time to point this out to your children subtly – for instance – “I wonder what they would look like without the filters”.
Children can be pretty harsh on each other, without knowing how deep things can go, and a few flippant words can cause damage that can’t be seen.
Help for teenage eating disorders
Often the kind of comparisons that young people make about themselves is generated by what they see as ‘normal’ in the media. Eating disorders are triggered by false images and ultimately this can lead to eating disorders as teenagers strive for what is sold to society as the perfect body image.
These portrayals are breaking our beautiful children’s minds and bodies. Be watchful, and remember, it happens to boys as well as girls. With NLP I motivate young people to shift their focus onto how they see themselves in a positive way, not what they ‘think’ others see. This lifts their self-esteem, and they can then stand tall and proud.
We all see our children for their true beauty, and let me tell you there is nothing more amazing than watching them open their eyes and see for themselves how wonderful and perfect they are. Everyone is different and it is those differences that make everyone so beautiful!
Controlling teen access to social media
Online bullying is a real thing, so restrict your children’s time on electronics, and at night take them away completely. You may face a few hissy fits at first, however, it is worth it once your child has a break from the online world, not to mention a sleep free from ‘blue light’. Their sleep quality will improve, and along with this their mood.
How to deal with teenage bullying
As a child I vividly recall being bullied in the school yard, because I was the new kid. We moved house and nothing for it (Ali: what does this mean?), I was changing schools so the bullies pinpointed me and made my life a living hell!
I was always so happy to get on that school bus at the end of every day, away from the bullies. Was this a good enough reason? Definitely not, it was, however, enough to make me feel at times that I didn’t want to be here any more! The fact that I can empathise is what make me even better equipped to work with these amazing young people using NLP.
I remember playing with all my cousins when I was a little girl, and marvelling at their beautiful auburn hair, and actually being upset that I was the only one in the family without it! Imagine my shock when a few years later I witnessed a young girl being victimised in the playground, for her beautiful red hair. I turned into a wildcat on that day, defending her, and it ended up being me in trouble with the teachers. I really couldn’t process the bullies’ mentality, and so it is very personal to me when I work with young people that have been bullied and suffered low self esteem as a consequence.
NLP helps me show them simply how to overcome these negative feelings, and every single one of my clients has progressed through, and now walk tall and confident. Proud of who they are, and realising that the faults actually lie with the bullies NOT with themselves.
Helping teens using NLP
NLP is fantastic as it simplifies everything, and does give you the confidence to move forward and drive out negative feelings, which often can be left to grow and become real monsters in our heads.
My aim is to use NLP to work with youngsters and save lives. The teen suicide rate is excessive and completely unacceptable. I believe all schools, although aware of the problems, are not completely sure how to deal with it. I would very much like to work with schools to increase the awareness and hold assemblies with role play etc, so that the bullies and victims begin to understand each other. A dream? Maybe, but a dream that I intend making into a realistic goal. Then we will see a reduction in teen suicides, teen addiction, and a dramatic increase in what our wonderful children accomplish, through sheer pride, confidence and determination!
If you are worried about your child, please email me for an informal chat. Let’s get them being children again, not anxious shells worried more about the rest of the world’s opinion than reality:
hello@naturallifeprogressions.co.uk
Please be aware that all sessions with minors need to be fully consenting and if necessary chaperoned. Hypnotherapy will never be carried out without a full and complete understanding by all parties. NLP is productive not destructive. Get in touch and I will talk through everything with you.
Emma.