The teen years are marked by significant physical, emotional, and cognitive changes including moods and behavior, sleep patterns, changing interests and more. Understanding the markers of adolescence helps us work with teens in a proactive and productive way, setting them up for strong mental health as they enter adulthood.

Here are a few factors affecting teens.

Hormones and Chemicals in the Brain

Dopamine is a feel-good neurotransmitter that is released when we engage in pleasurable activities. In the adolescent brain, the baseline level of dopamine is lower than in childhood and adulthood but the dopamine release is higher when engaged in a pleasurable or exciting activity.

The Changing Body

The body of an adolescent undergoes significant changes as it enters puberty including hair growth, breast development, voice changes, menstruation, growth spurts, body odor and acne. It also comes with emotional changes including mood swings, silence and/or emotional intensity.

The Search for Novelty

Teens often search for new and exciting experiences. They may begin to engage in activities with a lot of passion. They may also seek out risky activities, even when they logically understand the pros and cons of a situation.

Important Social Relationships

Adolescence is a transitional time when teens begin to rely less on adults and lean more into peer relationships. These relationships can be deep and meaningful as they find others who relate to their life stage and experiences but can often be challenging when they don’t have adult insight or support.

Mood Swings and Emotional Intensity

During adolescence, the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, is developing rapidly while the prefrontal cortex, the logic and reasoning part of the brain, is still under construction. This can leave teens with high emotional intensity and mood swings that shift by the minute.

Changes in Sleep

Gone are the early bedtimes and early morning wakeups of childhood. Teens are notorious for late nights and sleeping all day on the weekends.

Access to Technology

Teens today have almost limitless access to technology. This comes with social interactions, through social media, video games, messaging apps and more. Many teens use technology as their primary source of communication and entertainment.

So what can we do with this information? Consider these few tips.

Find Healthy Sources of Dopamine

Because teens seek novelty and reward, adults can respond with healthy options that will increase their dopamine levels in a safe and constructive way, such as:

·        Physical movement, sports and exercise

·        New activities, experiences or places

·        Acts of service

·        One-on-one attention from a safe adult

·        Creative activities, art, music or expression

Encourage Healthy Sleep Habits

Most teens need 8-10 hours of sleep per night to keep their brain and body healthy. Help support this by creating healthy sleep habits, such as:

·        Keep screens out of the bedroom

·        Manage the workload

·        Get exposure to natural light

·        Get plenty of exercise

Foster In-Person Relationships

While many teens have relationships with peers through technology, it’s also important to foster in-person communication. Encourage them to take relationships from digital to face-to-face by meeting up with a friend, joining a club or visiting a public space.

We don’t need to wait for a problem before supporting teens with their mental health. There are things we can do proactively to help them practice and learn to manage their own mental health. These skills will serve them throughout their whole life as they continue to experience new joys and challenges into adulthood.