Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 41
The Core Pillars
of Teen Wellness
Here’s what really ma琀琀ers when suppor琀椀ng
teen wellbeing:
1. Physical Health: Fuel, Move, Rest
Nutri琀椀on: Teens are growing rapidly and need
quality fuel. That means a variety of wholefoods
— but also a balanced, 昀氀exible approach that
avoids diet culture. Overconsump琀椀on of ultraprocessed foods is a concern, so educa琀椀on is key.
Exercise: Movement is powerful. It boosts mood,
builds con昀椀dence and supports sleep. From team
sports to dance, walking the dog or trying yoga —
encourage movement that feels fun.
Sleep: Many teens are chronically sleepdeprived. Helping them build be琀琀er sleep
habits — like winding down before bed
and ditching devices late at night — can
drama琀椀cally improve wellbeing.
2. Mental Health: Mind
the Mind
Mental health needs to
be talked about — early
and o昀琀en.
Apps like Smiling Mind and
Clear Fear o昀昀er free tools
tailored to teens. Programs
like Yale University’s
Science of Wellbeing for
Teens help them build
emo琀椀onal resilience, while
retreats such as REWIRE™
in the UK combine
medita琀椀on, nature, and life
skills to empower teen girls.
Crucially, teens need adults
who will listen without
昀椀xing, create safe spaces,
and normalise seeking
support — whether through
a counsellor, psychologist,
or trusted adult.
3. Technology & Social
Media: Balance, Not Ban
Smartphones have
changed teen life
forever. While they
o昀昀er connec琀椀on and
crea琀椀vity, they also bring
pressure, comparison, and
overs琀椀mula琀椀on.
The rise of teen “beauty
burnout” (think: skincare
obsession driven by
TikTok) and the constant
dopamine rush of endless
scrolling is linked to poor
body image, anxiety and
sleep issues. In response,
countries like Australia,
France and the US are
now legisla琀椀ng minimum
age restric琀椀ons for social
media access.
S琀椀ll, the answer isn’t
banning tech altogether
— it’s teaching digital
literacy and emo琀椀onal
regula琀椀on. As one UK
teen entrepreneur
put it: “Social media
is a weapon of mass
consump琀椀on — but we
can use it di昀昀erently.”
