Goal setting empowers you to lead a purposeful and fulfilling life and enables you to make significant progress towards your desired outcomes. When faced with challenges, having a clear goal in mind can help you stay focused and come up with solutions
To continue our discussion on fostering coping skills, we’ll be talking about goal setting which is an important aspect of progress. This is in line with our mission to develop resiliency, grit and lifelong mental wellness.
What is driving the mental health crisis of our youth?
One of the major drivers affecting the mental health crisis nowadays is their lack of independence. As parents, we naturally tend to be overprotective of our children so much so that we shield them away from potential harm, setbacks, and even failures.
The sad truth is that the number of cases of kids dealing with mental health issues, whether diagnosed or not, is continuously and rapidly increasing across the globe. Various factors contribute to this, including societal pressures, academic demands, exposure to technology and social media, and other stressors.
It is crucial for us to recognize and address this growing issue by promoting awareness, fostering supportive environments and coping skills, and providing accessible tools and resources to ensure the mental well-being of kids in their crucial developmental years.
Teach with the end result in mind.
Most of the time when our kids are frustrated, they have no idea what to do or where to even start. Their brain becomes dysregulated affecting how they act and think, which is why they don't know how to break things down. It can also be because we are not really teaching them through a results-oriented manner.
As such, they can’t imagine the end result of whatever actions or decisions they make. That is why it’s vital for us to rewire the brain for the purpose of improving one’s attention and cognitive skills. You can check out our Neurofeedback Webinar in case you’re in need of guidance, tools and other resources.
A good example that I use all the time when talking about goal setting is grocery shopping and I know a lot of people can relate to this scenario as well. For those who have great executive functioning skills, grocery shopping becomes easier because you already know what you’re going to cook as well as the ingredients that you need.
On the other hand, some people find it difficult to break down tasks because they’re not seeing the end results. You have to activate that part of the brain and kind of visualize it to see the end result. Keep in mind, however, that this isn’t going to happen overnight; we have to be consistent in the positive reinforcement.
One of the good things about my kids is that when they’re facing any issues or problems, they come up with a solution and check in with me if their solutions are good. That’s a sign of good coping skills especially in stressful situations.
This is about executive functioning and building it.
When you’re fully equipped with many tools and resources, you can easily build coping skills. Reduce your kid’s reliance on you and let them have independence and control because having a good balance of parental guidance and independence allows kids to explore their capabilities, develop resilience, and grow into self-reliant individuals.
You have to stop being a life preserver and you need to be their swim coach instead because a swim coach doesn’t swim for you as a swimmer. Rather, a swim coach teaches you how to be a swimmer.
For more information, you can read these blog posts on Anxiety Coping Skills for Teens and 10 Essential Coping Skills for ADHD Kids.
Links and Resources:
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