If you’ve ever been on a plane before, you’ve heard a flight attendant caution you to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others in the case of an emergency.
While this advice might seem like a no-brainer for people when they’re flying, it is hard for people to think rationally when they are experiencing panic and high levels of stress.
The same is often true for practicing self-care. All too often, people are more concerned with helping others or trying to combat every challenge that comes their way that they forget to take a moment to breathe and take care of themselves.
Just like if airplane passengers neglect to put on their own oxygen masks in an emergency, when people neglect self-care, it can have disastrous effects. When people don’t take care of themselves, they are more susceptible to physical, mental, and emotional crises.
If you want to make sure you and your teen are not helping other people before putting on your own masks, you can try practicing the PLEASE skill. This skill involves uses strategies that will help you take care of yourself so you can be better equipped to take care of others:
1. Treat Physical Illness and take medications as prescribed
If you are struggling with a physical illness, it can be hard for you to have the energy and physical ability to go about your day let alone help others go through theirs.
Make sure that you are taking any medications that are prescribed to you so that any physical illness you may have does not go untreated. This is a crucial first step because you cannot worry about your emotional or mental wellbeing if your physical wellbeing is in jeopardy.
2. Balance eating in order to avoid mood swings
You’ve probably heard people use the word “hangry” to describe someone who is highly irritable because they haven’t had something to eat recently.
While this term is usually used as a joke, there is a lot of truth to the idea that our eating habits affect our mood.
If we eat too much salty, greasy, and sugary foods it can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.
If we don’t eat enough food or drink enough water during the day, it can make us feel irritable and depressed. We will also lack the energy necessary to go through our day and interact with others.
It’s important to try to eat a balanced diet so that we can be proactive about taking care of our physical and mental health.
3. Avoid mood-altering substances and have mood control
When we feel too high or too low, it can be tempting to try to alter our mood. Teens are especially susceptible to this because they are often experiencing mood changes as they progress through adolescence.
While you or your teen might have a natural tendency to try to avoid or suppress negative emotions, using mood-altering substances or trying to ignore your negative moods instead of having mood control can make your negative feelings worse.
When you are struggling to control your emotions, you become increasingly vulnerable to emotional crises, and even a small stressful situation can have a major impact on your health.
It is better to learn how to tackle your emotions head-on so that you can deal with them properly instead of allowing them to fester or using Band-Aid solutions.
4. Maintain good sleep so you can enjoy your life
Our bodies need adequate sleep each day in order to function properly. When you sleep, it allows your mind to recharge your cells to regenerate, your muscles to heal, and your body to repair itself.
When you or your teen don’t get enough sleep at night, it can make you feel sluggish, irritable, and anxious. If anything negative happens or you face a negative situation, not feeling well-rested will only make things worse.
Getting high-quality sleep will help you feel better and think more rationally so you can enjoy life and be prepared for anything that comes your way.
5. Get exercise to maintain high spirits
Exercise gets your blood pumping and gives you the energy to power through your day. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins and serotonin, which will lift your spirits and make you feel happier.
Getting exercise can also help you have a better night’s sleep, which will also help boost your mood.
If you want to make sure you and your teen are taking care of yourselves, taking care of your body through daily exercise is essential.
When you follow these five steps of the PLEASE skill, you will find that you feel better and that you are in a better place with your physical, mental, and emotional health. This way, if you are ever in the midst of an obstacle or struggling with stress, you’ll be able to face these problems instead of feeling too overwhelmed or vulnerable.