Building sustainable habits for young girls: navigating stress

The ages of 12 to 18 years old are a critical time for psychological and social development as adolescents develop their identity and sense of self; this can contribute to feeling insecure or confused. For females in particular, associated stressors include body image, social acceptance, and the power of social media. Two ways that female adolescents can manage stressors during this time include education about menstruation and being aware of social media usage.

Females tend to experience their first menstrual cycle (i.e., menarche) during adolescence; your body, hormones, mood, and self-perception change. Learning about the menstruation process, your own cycle, and what is normal versus abnormal can decrease anxiety, increase preparation, and build confidence by having more control over your body. Phone apps are also useful for logging symptoms and patterns to better understand and track your cycle.

As for social media, ask yourself: how often and why do you go on it? Are there specific times that you find yourself using it? How do you feel before versus after using it? To mitigate the harmful effects of social media on your mental health, you can be more purposeful with its use, set a timer to limit your time using it, and unfollow accounts that contribute to a negative headspace.